Romantic Epilog

Color Me Purple

2009-04-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that some "mainstream books" that normally might appear on the Fiction shelves have made their way onto the Romance aisles at the bookstores. Like, for example, Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwiliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One. When I first saw it, it kind of stuck out like a sore thumb for me. For one, It's larger than an oversized paperback, and two, lots of these Pride and Prejudice continuations are cropping up these days.

The author starts off the book with a foreword in which she admits that before 2005 and the Joe Wright production of Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, she had never read any Austen books nor seen any previous screen adaptations of the book. But once she saw the 2005 movie, she fell in love and decided to read the original, research, and write her own continuation. Her influence of the 2005 adaptation was clear; there were many little details in the book that was obviously from the movie and not from any other versions or the original book.

Once I started, I realized that it was very similar to Linda Berdoll's Mr. Darcy takes a Wife. It starts off right after the Darcy/Bingley wedding and then the next chapter flashed back to a few days before the wedding. Both books did the same thing.

Now, a quick note: if you're a Austen purist, don't even think about picking up either of these two books. Because if you do, you will think that the good name of Jane Austen has been entirely sullied by anachronistic language and too much sex. That being said, if you just want a Romantic read and feel like Pride and Prejudice should've ended in the sack, you might enjoy this. But beware, there is a copious amount of sex in both books. However, I must note that while the two are similar, Lathan's book contains a lot of slices of life scenes where Berdoll juggles the entirety of the cast and a (sorta) more complicated plot.

Back to Sharon Lathan's Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One. Like I said, there's is a very close correlation to this book and Berdoll's book. Which is fine with me but I did notice the similarities off the bat. Lathan has a lot of sex. I was kinda surprised. Even more than Berdoll's book, which already surprised me when I read it a few years ago. But anyways, the sex has so much purple prose. So much. And cuddling. And pillow talk. More snuggling. More good morning sex. If purple writing amuses you, you'll enjoy this. It didn't annoy me, surprisingly; I just went with the flow and enjoyed it.

But as to plot...well, it's thin at best. Like I said, the book is mainly comprised of all slice of life scenes with lots of bedroom back and forth, a few breakfasts and dinners, a party, and one incident that seemed to act as the climax of the book. Doesn't take a genius to come up with the "surprise" if the Darcys are going at it like bunnies everyday.

In the end, I flipped through it, some parts my eyes just read the words but I wasn't too concerned that I might be missing something. I was probably only missing some more cuddling. But thankfully, I was in the mood for a super sappy read. With lots of cuddling. So, good thing I was in the mood. But honestly, I can't really recommend this book to someone else because I don't think it's a good spend of $14.99. (I got mine for free through BookMooch. Thank you fellow moocher!)

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2 out of 5: 2 because I just so happened to be in the mood for something so sappy. But if you want plot, accuracy, or interesting character development...steer clear! Sex abounds in this so-called Pride and Prejudice continuation. More like well written fanfiction.

Animal Names and Bloody Appendages and Doomsday...oh my!

2009-04-17T23:06:00.000-07:00

As a continuation to the previous post, I picked up Jessica Andersen's Nightkeepers, since it came so highly recommended by J.R. Ward, a friend of Andersen's. I didn't think to put too much weight on the rave review because 1) they're friends and support each other's writing and therefore 2) they would naturally recommend each other's work. But I still tried it because I love Ward and was hoping for something on the same level as her work and how the Brotherhood sucks me in.

I did not get that. In fact, I couldn't finish Nightkeepers.

To be honest, I would have never bought this book had I just come across it at the bookstore. I might have picked it up because of it's alluring cover, but I would never have purchased. The back cover copy isn't written to entice me and had I gone and actually flipped through the pages, I would have been discouraged.

First off, the world was disconcerting to me. I couldn't get my bearings in the environment created by the book. On one hand, it's about Mayan prophecy but the term that's constantly used to speak about how the characters tap into their magic is "jack in." To me, that term is very Matrix-y in its electronical jargon and that makes a very weird juxtaposition with what I naturally connect with Mayan culture which is something that happened in history many many years ago. So, that awkward mix of the old and new just rubbed me the wrong way.

Another thing, there's a secondary character named Rabbit?! What? And he's an angsty teen who wears black, has plugs in his ears, and is constantly connected to his iPod? The names...sigh, a hero who is Striking Jaguar, which isn't all that bad, but I learned to hate it because I just couldn't get over "Rabbit."

This book is very obviously setting up to the rest of the series. Instead of concentrating on the main hero/heroine pair, there's a large section of the book where we meet the other Nightkeepers and we don't even read about the main pair. This just turned me off. When I read a Romance, I expect to be with one or both of the main characters at least 98%-99% of the time, giving a little leeway for some secondary characters. But when a significant chunk of the book is gone to characters of upcoming books...how can you expect your reader to engage with the characters?

There is quite a bit of jargon here and I don't think it was done in a way where the reader is just seamlessly inserted into that culture and they don't feel out of sorts. Unfortunately, I was very confused, and the language wasn't an enhancement, but all techy jargon to me. When including non-English words or words that are made up by the author to spice up the book, the author needs to be careful it doesn't detract from the book, but adds to it. But alas, this was one of the biggest things I didn't like about this book. Too much.

Lastly, what is with all the knife welding and cutting of flesh and blood contact? Yuck. It just made me cringe and not in the "I'm grimacing because something bad has just happened to the hero and/or heroine and it's written so well I feel like it's actually happening." It just made me cringe because it was gross. I mean, the hero slicing a cut on his tongue, forcing the heroine to open her mouth so he can do the same, and then mingling their blood in a bruising kiss is not sexy; it makes me think of disease, not sex. The whole bloodletting element just made me want to shrink away from the book.

Ironically, I've never really had this feeling even though I love vampire books and have read some (that I didn't like) where the blood was a big element. I don't know what it was but Andersen just didn't write it this element in an appealing way. Which sounds weird, but when dealing with paranormal and blood is involved, if the author doesn't do it right it smacks of obscene, not sexual or appealing.

To be fair, I think this series has a very interesting basic idea. Nightkeepers and magic and Mayan history seems enough rich fodder to plot an entire series. However, it was the writing and the way it was written that turned me off. Sad to say that I had high hopes for it, and if it wasn't for the source of the recommendation, I would have never even tried it nor stuck with it for as long as I did, even though I didn't finish it.

One small note: it is a very nice cover.

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0.5 out of 5: I would have given it a zero because I couldn't even finish it, but I gave it half a point because it's a good idea for plot in theory, but unfortunately in reality, it was awful.

Author Pimping

2009-04-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Notice how authors will have a page on their websites where they link to other authors or when they blog about upcoming books, urging their readers to try them out? Well, how much stock can I place into these recommendations when I know they're obviously friends with each other and support mutual work?

Well, even though I'm not sure how much I can count on these recommendations, I will be trying one out. J.R. Ward is friends with another author, Jessica Andersen, and has recently help promote Andersen's Mayan, Final Prophecy, paranormal series.

Off to read...

Guilty Pleasure

2009-04-15T19:13:00.001-07:00

We all have them, and I have a few in Romance. This is one of the guiltier ones.

Any Way You Want It by Kathy Love.

I've reviewed her contemporary stories before, the Stepp Sisters, and came away with mixed feelings about the trio, absolutely loving the first one, okay with the second, and disastrous with the third. But this is about the first book in one of her paranormal series about three friends, two of which end up with brothers.

Maggie Gallagher is spending a nice vacation in the Big Easy with her friends, Erika and Jo. The shyest of the bunch, Maggie and Co. are enjoying their time together when Maggie is arrested by a melody that nobody is supposed to know. As an authenticator of classical music for the Smithsonian, Maggie recognizes the few bars of a piano melody written by a composer back in the 18 century.

Having just indulged a whim to stroke a few keys of a old piece of music that he had written back when he was just a mere mortal, Ren Anthony is instantly attracted to the small curvy strawberry blonde who has stopped to listen to the live music. Living as an ex-composer who now is the frontman for an immortal cover band, Ren is an auto-pilot musician these days. He just plays to pay the bills.

As a special kind of vampire, a lampir, he survives and feeds off human energy instead of blood. Having believed since his rebirth that he was cursed by his mother, he knows that he shouldn't get involved with Maggie, but can't resist her unique blend of innocence and natural sensuality. Agreeing to a vacation fling, Maggie and Ren explore each other while mutually loosing their hearts as well.

Why is this one of my guiltiest pleasures? For one thing, it's super sweet. Like, send-you-into-a-diabetic-coma sweet. Like most heroines who are shy, they're accompanied by a little issues of body image. While Ren thinks her slight curves are delectable, Maggie has been told they're more than chubby by her ex-finance. Ren takes each and every opportunity to rid Maggie of that misconception and it's so sweet, it'll give you cavities.

But I love it. When I'm in the mood for a hero that's protective and sweet, Ren is my go to guy.

Another reason for guilt inspiring reading? The plot. It's very light. As in, there could've been so much more layered on for a sturdy story. First of all, Ren believes he's cursed. Having been through two failed love affairs, he thinks that his mother has cursed him in the love department. This wasn't covered at all. There's mentions of his past lovers, but you're given scant more information than just their names. One of them, the opera singer, seemed to play a large part in Ren's belief that he was cursed but there was little to no information about that part of his life.

The conclusion is another point of weakness. In an effort to push away Maggie, thinking that he's ultimately saving her life, he does the unthinkable for a Romance alpha hero. He engages intimately with another woman. Yes, we know it's all in an effort to "do the right thing for Maggie" but it's still a little off-putting. In a previous post, I've mentioned that being with another person once the hero/heroine have been together and established is one of the cardinal sins not to be committed in a Romance. Some authors, like I've said before, dare to venture into that forbidden territory, but few make it out alive. And yes, Ren commits this sin.

With all that said, there is something just so sweet (that one word can sum up Ren and Maggie) about this book. The characters aren't the strongest, the plot is minimal at best (more like a collection of day-to-day activity scenes), and the ending is rushed for the sake of an ending. But still, I consider it an occasional reread because I just can't resist this guilty pleasure.

I Like Roller Coasters...right?

2009-04-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Having just read (and liked) Susan Elizabeth Phillips' What I Did for Love and in the midst of listening to Lisa Kleypas' newest contemporary, Smooth Talking Strangers, via audiobook, I got to thinking about emotional roller coasters.

Emotional roller coaster books are exactly like they sound. The emotions run the gamut and takes the reader through high highs and extreme lows, usually where tears threaten to prickle the eyes and your heart clenches for these imaginary characters. Like I've mentioned before, one of my Good Read Triggers is that tightening of my gut where I don't know how the story can possibly end happily even though logically, I know that it does. So, if I base a good book on that, then I must like those emotional coaster reads, right?

Surprisingly, the answer is, not always.

I've recently come to this conclusion because I've noticed myself buying books from authors that I've read and really enjoyed in the past, but putting them aside for some reason. And then I realized why I've been doing that--those authors are known for an emotional read and I just wasn't in the mood for something that takes so much out of me to read.

Having just finished What I Did for Love and working on Smooth Talking Stranger, I realized that there are times where those flat emotional reads are much better suited to me. Both of these books take the reader on a sort of plateau in terms of emotions. It sets the bar in the beginning and doesn't deviate very far from the plan. And there are times where these reads are just plain comforting. You want a feel-good read and these deliver.

There are good points and bad to these non-emotional reads. These tend to be the books that pick up when I'm looking for a Romance reread. But these also tend to be the ones where when I'm finished, I wonder if they are a keeper copy because they feel so...interchangable. A good portion of these books feels like they lack substance.

But there are times where those emotional reads set themselves apart from the vast category of Other Romance. By that I mean, the giant numbers of Romances that mean nothing. There's no depth of plot, no real planning of character development, and no sizzle to the chemistry. Those that set themselves apart in my opinion, are most often the emotional reads. Because of their nature to take the reader up and down, they really stand out in the sense that they have substance and depth and makes the reader care for the characters beyond the end of the book. These authors cultivate active message boards and the devoted fan base will want to know of the characters' well-being after their books are written.

While I've recently discovered that my palette for books is diverse, one is not better than the other for they balance each other out to create the beautiful range of Romances.

Amazon Debacle

2009-04-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, in case you haven't read, people are up in arms about the recent activity occurring on Amazon. It appears that Amazon has removed books deemed "Adult Content" from their ranking and the search engines.

Google it to read about more about this issue. Amazon has replied that it's just a glitch, but people aren't buying it. Not at all.

My take? This won't last. No way will people put up with this form of censorship. And really, where does this "Adult Content" label end...oh the dangers of censorship. A slippery slope, I tell you...very slippery.

From Browse to Checkout

2009-04-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

What makes you buy a Romance book? I'm talking about the times when I'm just browsing at Borders, coupon in hand, but no specific book in mind. In those times, there's probably a one in ten chance that I'll leave with a purchase.

Why? Well, first of all, I'm terribly picky after having read so many of these. Second, I have to waste my money and I will have certain buyer's remorse if I finish the book and feel like I could have spent my time doing something else.

So, I got to thinking, what catches my eye when I don't have a purchase in mind?

1. A familiar name. For those authors whom I know (matter of speaking) and love, I'll know well in advance when the next coveted book is coming out. I'll have the up and comers catalogued on my shopping list on Amazon and I'll usually be waiting and out to the bookstores on the day of release. But for those names that I'm familiar with but not in love with...that recognition of their name is vital in me picking up an unforeseen purchase.

2. Placement. I'll always check out the "New Paperback" selection that usually is consisted of 90% Romance for new reads. It's the first place I check when looking for any new release as it's easier to pick them up there instead of scouring the specific shelves alphabetically. So, that's also a good place to check for an impromptu read.

However, Placement is two-fold. Not only am I talking about placement in the New Paperback display, but I'm also referring to placement of books near or around authors that I consistently read. If a new book is placed conveniently placed near ones that I've already read, I'll almost certainly pick them up as well just to check out the back cover synopsis.

3. Cover. Ahh, the infamous cover art. How many good books have they ruined simply because of lame cover art. One that comes to mind is the original mass market cover art for Shelley Bradley's Bound and Determined. If I hadn't already been acquainted with Bradley's work, I would've dismissed that book entirely. And it's a fantastic read. Hot and sexy with heart and plot. She's mentioned in the past how she received angry (not) fan mail stating that readers were misled by the cover. It displays a very out-dated art with two models that look like they're dressed for a lazy tropical vacation. But instead, the plot has quite explicit sexual scenes (done tastefully), with a plot that has its ups and downs in terms of excitement and emotional level. Happy to say, this book has been re-released into an oversized paperback with a cover that accurately portrays the "higher" heat factor. But I won't mention how that same cover art was recycled from a Janice Maynard novel. Smartly, it was also released into Bradley's alter ego pen name, Shayla Black, the name she uses for her more erotic romances. (Not quite sure I'd put Bound and Determined on the same level as her explicitly erotic Decadent and Wicked Ties, but it's certainly not as tame as her other Bradley releases).

But I must admit the reverse, I've picked up many a Romance simply because they had a nicely done cover. And not all of those good covers were explicitly romance with a heavily muscled man flexing his goodies. Some were just a nice collaboration of colors, a good manipulation of Photoshop, or maybe it was just simple in style with clean lines and text. There are many things that make up a good cover and sometimes, it's not the revved up sex factor.

There you are, three reasons why I might buy without planning. But the occasion is rare; I usually go into Borders knowing what I'm going to buy. Most of the time, I'll leave the same way I went in, empty handed, but there have been a time or two that I found a new author to pursue from one of those surprise buys.

Interestingly enough, while on the subject of impromptu buys, Romance books recently made the New York Times. The article mentions how Romance readers are loyal and therefore sacrificing other things in order to continue to indulge in these hard economic times. I agree; readers of Romance are devoted and the thought of a happy ending is too hard to pass up when real life might be crap. Besides, who doesn't love a guilty indulgence of a hot alpha male and a good read?

Keeping Secrets

2009-04-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of Harlequin. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of the big names that I read and love started their Romance careers with Harlequin. But I'm just not an instant fan. Maybe I still have a bias against what people view as typical Romance novels. That super gushy, no plot line, all sex, bodice rippers from generations past. I know this prejudice, but I still don't gravitate towards this line.

I don't do their serial Romances, and I also feel like their books aren't long enough to warrant my time or money. However, lately, I've noticed that they're releasing "normal sized" mass paperbacks with nice covers and a diverse set of sub-genres.

For example, I saw Victoria Dahl's Talk Me Down, a while ago at Borders. What caught my eye was the cover, it was simple and understated but definitely a Romance with the female wearing a man's white dress shirt with a bright red tie and some sex-kitten peep toe pumps to match. But it wasn't a cover that had rippling abs of some long-haired Fabio and it was nicely done. The colors worked and it drew my eye.

I've never read any of Dahl's work and found out that she writes historicals but this particular book was a contemporary. Though I thumbed through it for fifteen minutes, it didn't look good enough to purchase. But a week later, I came across it for fifty cents at the library bookstore and happily gave this book a new home.

I read some reviews about it and it seemed positive. What really sold me and got me excited was how one reader mentioned that Ben, the hero, wasn't the typical alpha. He was the beta hero who blushed when the heroine made a dirty joke. I'm sometimes weary about this "role reversal" because sometimes authors don't write this well. The heroine comes off too masculine and the hero looses that edge that makes him a good candidate for the protector. But this book did an admirable job in very subtly shifting some stereotypes about gender without loosing too much.

Molly Jennings has come home to her small home town for some R and R. There's some familial connections to why she comes home, but point is, Molly's back in town. Ben Lawson, was/is Molly's older brother's best friend. But now he's the chief of police and still as handsome as he'd been in high school when Molly worshipped him.

Incidentally, back in the day, Molly had accidentally walked in on Ben and his girlfriend. Molly hasn't forgotten that sight of Ben in his truck with his pants around his ankles, and neither has Ben, judging by his embarrassment.

But Molly's back in town and Ben has to deal with it. She brings with her a secret because no one, not even her own family, knows what she does for a living. She writes erotica for an e-publisher, and has garnered her very own stalker. Ben, on the other hand, is going crazy wondering what she does for a living. Having gone through his own share of family shame, thanks to his father's sex scandal back when Ben was a teen, he definitely isn't too keen on Molly keeping secrets. But they can't stay apart and soon Molly's problems find their way into their new relationship.

The plot's pretty basic. Girl goes back home, brings mystery and stalker, and Boy is there to fix things as best as he can while battling his own issues with Girl. Eh, nothing that's earth shatteringly original but it's not too bad either. The "surprise villain" isn't much of a surprise and I was just waiting for that to come to light.

While I thought that the slight role reversal was handled well, with Molly being the more aggressive one, Ben wasn't written off as weak because once he gets going, he's not shy at all about pursuing Molly and a physical relationship. So, he might be the beta hero, but he's not that far away from alpha status. That was really important to me. That even though Ben was more of the emotional and sensitive guy, he didn't loose his edge and still had the potential to go all caveman on his women, even if he never actually did it.

But what lost me as a loyal reader was the Big Secret. Molly's career. It just dragged on way too long and her excuse to not tell Ben was lame. He would ask about it and she would hedge. When he got frustrated, she got frustrated back and asked why he just couldn't let it go. This went on for the entire length of the book. The secret just didn't have enough meat to last that long.

The only cute part about the secret was when Ben would brainstorm about what the secret was and scribble his ideas of "hooker, phone sex operator, chatroom sex hostess...etc" at the beginning of the chapters. But all in all, the secret wasn't all that big and it just didn't have enough steam to carry the entire book where in the end, they didn't even make a big deal out of it nor did they resolve much concerning the secret.

So, was it worth the read? Yeah. It had it moments of humor and while the sex wasn't written to be too explicit, it was still done well and generated enough heat to keep the reader interested. But worth the cover price? And a coveted place on my crowed bookshelf? No. It was well worth the fifty cents I paid but I'll be recycling the book on BookMooch soon, letting someone else enjoy it.

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3 out of 5: Decent, but not great. Fun contemporary that is a definite easy read. Good for beach reading but not something to look forward to reading all day and burn through normal sleep hours to finish.

Coming Soon

2009-04-10T02:46:00.000-07:00

For all the posts that I've done about books that are already out on the shelves, I feel like I should do one about the ones that are coming soon.

These are some that I'm looking forward to...

1. The first and foremost would be J.R. Ward's Lover Avenged. I can't even begin to describe how excited I am for this to come out at the end of the month. It's no secret that I'm a big Ward fan and since I wasn't all that happy with the last Brotherhood book, Lover Enshrined, I'm thoroughly looking forward to this book. However, in all fairness, it wasn't that I didn't like Lover Enshrined. I loved how the Brotherhood world got so much more complex and the secondary plot lines were amazing, it was the main hero and heroine that didn't exactly do it for me.

So needless to say, I'm very much looking forward to the next installment. Only downside? It's coming out in hardcover. Andwhile the price is a factor for me, I also love the ease of carrying around a paperback. Plus, the mass market issue is coming out in December and I just can't justify getting a hardcover while the paperback will be released so soon afterwards. And may I just add, "hello, hot cover..."

2. Bengal's Heart by Lora Leigh. Basically anything by her is an instant to-buy for me and this will be no exception. Leigh is really on a roll this year. 2009 seems to be her year because she's basically releasing a book every month. Well, so far. But she's skipping May with a novella coming out in June and then Bengal's Heart in August. Bengal's Heart will feature Cabal, the twin of Tanner Reynolds who was the hero in Tanner's Scheme. I very much enjoyed the pushing of boundaries in that book and am looking forward to Cabal's story.

3. Rachel Gibson is releasing another book as well. True Love and Other Disasters is coming out the same day as Ward's book on April 28. It looks to be another Gibson that connects to her hockey player characters and though I've read all her books, I don't always love them. So, I'm not sure that this will be a purchased book, but I will read it one way or another.

4. Demon Can't Help It by Kathy Love will also debut at the end of April. While I really liked Any Way You Want It for its utter diabetic sweetness, I was disappointed by the subsequent read, I Want You To Want Me. So I can't help but feel like the disappointment will continue in the same vein, but I won't cast the decision before I have a chance to read it myself. Nevertheless, Love has given me some good reads and I am looking forward to this. Ironically, looking back, I can say that I love the first book in each of her series but have been unhappy with all others following.

5. I just found out that Shannon McKenna is releasing a trio of novellas in July. Tasting Fear is about three sisters and typical to McKenna, there's a crime and a supposed murderer on the loose and three sisters meet three super alpha males who barge their way to a rescue. Hopefully, I'll have finished Ultimate Weapon by then because I just haven't been in the mood for such edgy contemporaries. But while McKenna might not always be the best of reads, I can always respect how she pushes the envelope with her writing, plot, and characters.

There are a few more that I'm looking forward to but these five seem the most promising...

Not Original Enough?

2009-04-09T23:12:00.000-07:00

In past reviews, I've made my (sorta) love-hate relationship with Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books clear. I find her writing funny as hell at times, to the point of laughing out loud, but I'm generally left feeling unsatisfied at the end. Doesn't bode well for a Romance. Insert all jokes about "feeling unsatisfied" here.

So after the disaster of Glitter Baby, and whew, does that disappointment list run long. I had such high hopes for it too. So many reviews raved about Phillips' first romantic work as being epic and the love story as unsurpassed. My confusion was clear when I cracked open the re-issue and found that the story began decades before the birth of the heroine and that somehow, we were taken back to read about her mother and her story. What?

Long story short, I was entirely disappointed by the plot, I didn't feel the heat between Jake and Fleur, and basically didn't care how the book ended one way or another. However, I feel like I'm being harsh on the book. If it were labeled as a coming-of-age story versus a Romance, I would have been happy. It really is a book about a girl coming into her skin and becoming a woman. But the so-called love connection between her and Jake? Didn't buy it. Nope.

And when SEP released her newest book, What I Did for Love, I wasn't flying to the bookstore to pick it up. Coupled with the fact that it released into a hardcover...well, I wasn't going to spend so much on an author that wasn't an instant hit with me. I checked Amazon to read the reviews about the new book and they certainly didn't help. Reviewers criticized the plot as being a thinly veiled attempt to fictionize the Jolie-Pitt-Aniston triangle and the uncomfortable divorce and husband swapping.

And really, the plot to the book is almost identical. Georgie York was America's sitcom darling and though the show has been off the air for eight years, she still can't shake that image. By the opening of the book, Georgie finds herself divorced from her movie-star husband who left her for an exotic looking, humanitarian actress who recently announced her pregnancy. Come on...anyone can see where Phillips got her inspiration from.

The real story starts when Georgie finds herself pulling a Britany Spears a la the Vegas nuptials, and married to her old co-star Bram, whom she detests (the hate is basically mutual between the two). Desperate to pull together her ruined image, she agrees to pay Bram to stay her husband. Bram, the bad boy actor who ruined his career by way of drugs, drink, and women, is also desperate to renew his credibility in Hollywood. Although he's not as outwardly desperate as Georgie, each has a stake in their pretend marriage.

Despite what should have been a recipe for disaster, it surprisingly wasn't. In the past reviews of SEP's books, I complained about the secondary romances. I felt like they dominated the books and that the main pair didn't get their deserved room. But in What I Did for Love, that wasn't the issue. Yes, there was a secondary romance. Two actually. One that involved Georgie's father and her agent, and another with Bram's housekeeper/chef and Georgie's personal assistant. But the wonderful part about these romances? They collectively added up to be about less than fifteen pages total, versus what normally would've been at least a good third of the book. That was the biggest plus in endearing me to this book.

Another reason I thoroughly enjoyed the book is the nicely time-lined romance. Bram and Georgie genuinely don't like each other in the beginning. I was suspicious about Bram's feelings because it's so typical for the hero to have those love/hate feelings but secretly lust after the heroine. But not so much in this case. Bram might have the ability to appreciate the nice picture that Georgie's legs might make, but they really don't like each other. Georgie especially for the heartache Bram caused her as a kid.

But the romance between the two evolved progressively and steadily. It wasn't as if they went from hate and full-throttled into lust and then love straightaway. They bickered for a good third of the book with them taking cheap shots liberally laced with sarcasm at each other's expense. If I wanted to nitpick, I would say that Bram's fall into love was kinda cheesy. One minute he's not, the next he has some ocean-induced revelation about his feelings and finds himself in everlasting love with Georgie. But by then, I'd already fallen in love with the characters and book that I excused that use of "divine intervention."

In addition, if you've read other SEP books, you'll notice consistent appearances by other characters. Natural Born Charmer and Glitter Baby characters make an appearance as friends of Georgie's and Bram's.

All and all, this was an enjoyable book. I'd go so far as to say it might be my favorite SEP so far. It doesn't have really heavy emotional tones like her other ones, but if you're looking for a nice read that doesn't have too many emotional ups and downs and is pretty predictable and sweet, this is the read for you.

I enjoyed it enough to say that when it comes out in paperback, I'll be buying my own copy to put on the shelf.

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4 out of 5: Predicable and sweet with the emotions pretty much on level for the entire length.

Man with an Accent & Romance Triggers

2009-01-25T22:38:00.000-08:00

I've done a post before about audiobooks and how I mentioned that I prefer male narrators to female because of the way a man can (usually) cant his voice in a way that his female voice doesn't sound ridiculous. It's usually done with less emphasis on the narrator's strong deep voice using a realistic falsetto. On the other hand, a woman narrator lowers her voice to achieve the male voice and it usually sounds too fake to my ears. In other words, a male narrator can swing both ways while a female can't. Plus, I think a man's voice is typically more soothing to listen to than a woman's.

In addition to what I wrote previously about audiobooks, I was elated to have received a comment from author Lori Foster because I had mentioned that I liked listening to her audiobook, Caught In the Act. She commented that while it was totally not what she had in mind for Mick's voice, hearing a reader/listener's POV was interesting.

In any case, I've been steadily collecting audiobook files from my local libraries and from online sources such as Audible.com. Which, by the way, is pretty much the go-to site for audiobooks. It's pretty user friendly and compatible with pretty much all the most popular MP3s including iPod and I've happily tried out their free trial to get a sense of the site. If you like or are thinking about audiobooks, I suggest you google "Audible free trial" and see for yourself.

I've listened to Lori Foster's Caught In the Act, some Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters, Megan Hart, etc. Recently, I've just finished two books that I was very happy with. After I read and loved Christine Feehan's new GhostWalker book, Murder Game, I was delighted to find out that it was also out in audiobook format.

I like the narrator Tom Stechschulte. He does a nice deep voice with a hint of a Southern accent. His female voice sounds a wee bit too high to be just right but it's not bad. Prior to Murder Game, I listened to Stechschulte on another Feehan GhostWalker book, Mind Game. Same results. The "narrator voice" is nice and consistent pretty much all of the time. He gives the "hero voice" a nice alpha male deep quality though like I mentioned before, the "heroine voice" seems a little too high for my tastes.

However, the recent audiobook I really enjoyed was Phil Gigante narrating Karen Marie Moning's The Dark Highlander. I'm new to the series and The Dark Highlander was the first I read in the series about a month ago. I'm almost all caught up with only Kiss of the Highlander left in my to be read pile.

I was very excited to see The Dark Highlander out in audiobook, though I was a bit weary. There are a lot of accents needed to pull it off and a good reading of all the faery/fey terms and languages. I read that many people enjoyed Gigante's reading of the books and I wholeheartedly agree.

He does a fantastic "alpha male" voice with accents that aren't too over done but just enough to really put the listener into the mindset. His "heroine voice" was very pleasant to listen to as well. High enough to be decidedly female, but not too much where I think drag queen or a man who's just been racked and lost all the testerone from his body. In the end, I was able to doubly enjoy the book. I loved it when I read it the first time around, but listening to it bought in another level of enjoyment. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series.

Audiobooks are just as personal as picking out a romance book. Not all romance works for everybody. And even those readers with similar tastes will differ in what triggers a good read. And fans (even the diehard ones) will disagree on what makes a particular book in a series good. So, I think that the first step in exploring the genre of Romance is to find out what triggers work for you as a reader.

I've had friends and people I've met at the local Borders ask for recommendations before. I always start off with, "Well, what do you like to read? A sweet contemporary romance, paranormal, action/adventure, etc?" And even if they answer "Paranormal" I will then go on to ask, "what kind of paranormal? Vampires, were-animals, time travel, fey, or combinations of many paranormal elements."

Personally, I've come to recognize my triggers in what makes a good read and keeper copy versus a so-so romance. And it's funny now that I've found out what works for me because I would never have thought that about myself. It really draws a line between a fantasy world in a book and the real world.

For instance, one of my Good Read triggers is the endearment. I've found that most (but not all) romances that I've come to really enjoy usually has the pet name element. I prefer the hero giving it to the heroine. Some Highlander/Historical romances include generics such as "sweet" or "love." I'm also a fan of the "baby" though I think that sometimes an author can overdo that one. A hero really has to be written as a total alpha to pull off "baby" in my opinion. Like Ward's fourth Black Dagger Brotherhood book and how Butch calls Marissa "baby." Lora Leigh is also quite fond of that endearment. And given that all her males are alphas to the extreme, I think it works. This is a weird trigger (I readily agree), but for some reason, it works for me.

Another trigger for me is the Ball Buster heroine. It's a Bad Read trigger for me. I won't say that 100% of all the super strong heroines that can be categorized as a ball buster automatically became bad reads for me, but I've come to find out that authors usually have a hard time showing a vulnerable or softer side to that kind of heroine. Some are successful though, but not all and for that, I'm not a fan of reading a heroine that doesn't show a softer edge. I can't really connect with those characters.

This came as a surprise to me because as a relatively young romance reader, (as opposed to the middle aged/married/moms that people think of as the Romance genre audience) I thought I would appreciate the strong female lead. But I learned quickly that there was a fine line to walk between strong and ball buster. And while I really appreciate a heroine that goes after what she wants, I don't like one that doesn't have a softness to them.

Another Bad Read sign is a lack of conversation during the intimate scenes. Now, I'm not saying that I need the hero and heroine to have a full out conversation during sex. What I find visually boring, and therefore usually has my eyes skipping over parts, is reading a sex scene in which there are paragraph after paragraph (and sometimes page after page) of straight up description of the actions. I like/need words exchanged between the hero and heroine here and there. Little phrases, not conversations. Stuff like a hero asking a heroine if she likes what he's doing or him verbally encouraging her reactions or praising her during sex. Without some conversation to break up the monotony of plain ol' description.

Finally, I wrote earlier in a review that the ultimate Good Read Indicator was the "how will this end happily?" feeling. It's a tightening in my chest as I'm reading and even though I know that as a Romance book, it logically must end happily, a good author will write twists within the plot that make me wonder how that happy ending will occur. It is happening less often more me now that I'm reading so many romances these days, but I will admit that the feeling happens when I least expect it to. Like my post on Nalini Singh's Slave to Sensation. I really didn't expect to get that Feeling when I was reading a first time author's introductory book into a new series. But I did. And I'm get the Feeling from authors that I least expect it from and sometimes, sadly, less from authors who used to give me the Feeling.

Like I've said before many a times, Romance is a vast genre to explore but a very personal one at that. And now, as I'm enjoying Romance on a new platform via audiobooks, I'm finding that listening to Romance is just as personal as reading it.

Secondary Romances

2009-01-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

Since Lori Foster is publishing her latest SBC Fighters, My Man Michael, I decided to pick up my copy of Causing Havoc to get in the mood for the January 27 release date. When I was reading Causing Havoc, I got to thinking about secondary romances.

In Causing Havoc, the main couple is Dean and Eve but there is a secondary romance that occurs between Dean's fellow fighter, Gregor, and Dean's youngest sister, Jacki. Jacki was a character that was rife with body image. Tall and not particularly well endowed up above, she's a character that doesn't know her own appeal and doubts Gregor's attraction to her. So while their courtship is layered in miscommunication with Gregor ultimately letting her know that he loved her and her body for just the way it was, I found their romance to be sweet but ultimately too short to feel satisfied.

In best case scenarios for secondary romances, that's how I feel: Like the romance was too short. However, more often than not, that's not how I feel. I finish the book and feel like the author didn't have enough plot to write an entire novel about one couple and threw in the second couple to pad the book. Plus, I'll feel cheated out of the main couple by having to suffer through pages of another couple's course to a happy ending.

In my readings, I've found that Susan Elizabeth Phillips is particularly fond of this secondary romance device. The second couple is usually a family member or close friend of either the hero or heroine and they go through quite an elaborate courtship. In Causing Havoc, Gregor and Jacki's romance was short, maybe less than twenty pages all together. However, for Phillips, her secondary couple will go through an entire courtship and sometimes I find myself flipping ahead to see when I'll get back to the main couple again.

I basically don't like secondary romances for reasons I've stated above. I've heard from some readers that they like them because it's like getting a novella within the larger book. Those who like secondary romances feel like they're getting a two for one deal. But for me...eh, it's not my thing. I feel gypped that either 1) the main couple's courtship is getting pared down because there's not enough content to write about or 2) the secondary couple is better than the main couple and they're not getting enough page space.

Personally, when I read a romance, the couple described on the back cover is the only story I want to read about. Do I want a good supporting cast to round out the book? Yes. But do I want to have a part of the book cut out to make room for another couple that could best serve their purpose in their own book or a novella? No. Just give me the story I signed up for when I bought the book, thank you very much.

P.S. I am very much looking forward to My Man Michael. Especially since it appears that she's added in a paranormal twist with the heroine...

From Great to Mediocre

2009-01-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

During the holiday season, Lora Leigh was featured in a anthology, The Magical Christmas Cat. (Extremely cheesy title, I know, but go with it...) Now, anything Lora Leigh is basically an instant read for me (except for the August brothers, but that's another story). So, I was very excited for another Breed novella. But what hooked me in was a new author, Nalini Singh.

I'd seen her books on Border shelves before but I wasn't interested because I felt like the graphics was poorly done and therefore didn't catch my eye. Yes, covers are that important. I do judge a book by the cover. But when I read the anthology, I didn't recognize the name and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

It was a basic were/shape shifting story that featured animals. But the thing that really hooked me in instead of wincing at the attempt to be another Lora Leigh was the description of the animal counterpart. For the Breeds, and for most other "were" stories, the animal is the man. There is no separation between the two. For the Breeds, they are man spliced with animal DNA. Other explanations for it is the typical "infection" or conversion explanation, and other more fantasy inspired explanations such as alien or just a separate being from humans.

What made this unique was the description that man and cat were separate but equal. Make sense? The character would speak of the cat (or whatever animal) as a separate entity within them even though they are part animals from birth. So in the anthology story, Stroke of Enticement, the hero speaks of his leopard like a personality within his personality. Sounds confusing when put like that, but basically the cat will react to things that the man might find unnecessary. Unlike the Breeds who are animal, these weres have a separation between the animal and man.

For instance, when the hero, Zach meets the heroine for the first time it's written like this: "Her delectable scent whispered over on disturbed air currents, ruffling the leopard's fur in the most enticing way. He barely bit back a responsive groan. Sometimes, adults had trouble with the cat too." (Singh, 10). Zach's cat is written very clearly as having his own reactions and pleasures. Another example of how these weres are different is how Zach can feel the rough rasp of his leopard's fur on the inside of his skin. This new way of writing the were story was very interesting to me.

So, I picked up the series.

I loved the first story, Slave to Sensation. Absolutely loved it. It was the first in a long time since I read a story that gave me the sign of a good story. For me, the sign is a clenching of my stomach and a big question mark about the ending even though in the back of my mind I know that the book must end happily for the couple because it is a romance book. I was really into the story even though I was slightly confused about the state of the world and the differentiation about the Psy and changelings, and humans. But after a while, the story became about the hero and heroine, Lucas and Sascha, and the dangers of their world.

The connection of the characters was strong with each being confused and cautious about the other. There was a great layer of "hidden facts" to which the reader was privy to but the characters did not know about each other. I liked how this mystery of Sascha's ability to feel emotions (as a Psy, she responds to logic and necessity not emotions and wants) wasn't drawn out. Lucas had his suspicions and even though his initial responsibility was to his pack, being Alpha, he later turned his allegiance to include Sascha as his number one.

Basically, I loved the twists and turns and was thoroughly delighted in finding out that his debut novel had more than one stumble block on the way to a happy ending and that the reader was left wondering how that ending will occur all the way up until the end. It's hard to keep a jaded romance reader guessing all the way up the end. (One of the reasons I love J.R. Ward. She has an uncanny ability to get the reader wonder "How the hell will this end happily?")

No surprise that I was made an instant fan once I read Singh's first full length book. I simply adored Lucas and Sascha. I rushed out to buy the next book. When I finished it I felt...eh. It was okay. Okay, but definitely lacking. Not bad enough that I would drop the series. So, I plowed onto the third book. And then the fourth. By then, I was flipping through the pages of so-so scenes and just getting to the end.

I loved seeing Lucas and Sascha and other Pack members come into successive books and make a strong appearance as secondary characters, but I felt like Singh was way too caught up in developing this future world. For one thing, discoveries made in the first book were made and/or explained again and again in following books. It got repetitive and redundant (and repetitive and redundant...) and the connection of the characters took a back seat.

While there are romances that have a plot take precedent and the characters secondary (like in J.D. Robb's In Death series where the crime is the driving force of the story and Eve and Roarke's story is secondary), Singh didn't start off that way and I was expecting character first and plot second in her series. I felt like the level of the connection between the hero and heroine was never matched to that of Lucas and Sascha. I understand that not every couple in a series will measure up, but something in Singh's writing just tapered off from great to mediocre.

Where did she loose me as a loyal reader? Besides the redundant facts and discoveries, the complexity of the plot was never achieved to the level of the first book. And I never got that gut clenching feeling while reading her books again. I lost that feeling I mentioned before. And for me, I was disappointed.

All the elements that made Slave to Sensation great wasn't apparent in full force with the other books. The first book was a delightful combination of mystery, humor, and feeling thrown in with a protective super Alpha male who loved his heroine with depth, and a heroine who wasn't afraid to fight for what she believed in (and for her man) but was still able to be seen as vulnerable to the harsh realities of the world. The equation that made the first book wonderful was absent in the books that followed.

Singh has created an interesting world with good characters but the spark that I felt from the first book slowly fizzed out with each successive book. Do I think she's still worth reading? Yes. I think many fans of paranormal romance will find something unique about Singh and the evolution of her writing is evident. Her more recent books show this explicitly through her sexual descriptions. With Lucas and Sascha it was much more metaphorical and the "heat factor" was a bit toned down when compared the other more established writers. But in the later Changling books, readers can pick up where Singh explored a more direct way of writing sex as her characters got bolder.

I honestly could not recommend Slave to Sensation more. It definitely sits as a reread copy on my bookshelf. But would I recommend the entire series without tagging on a caveat? No.

I can understand how Singh has so quickly built up a fan base while I will continue to be devoted to the first book, I won't be so eager to buy any future publications unless I find them for free on BookMooch or fifty cents (or a dollar) at the library bookstore. I own four plus a novella and while I can appreciate new talent, I feel like the series didn't live up to the debut.

Twin; Version 2.0

2009-01-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

I had a previous post in which I covered erotica and mentioned Lora Leigh's Bound Hearts series, Wicked Pleasures. I had also mentioned that I was looking forward to the story of Chase Falladay, the twin brother of Cameron who was the hero in Wicked Pleasures.

But when I finished I was disappointed. However, I wonder if I did Chase's book an injustice by rereading Cam's first. I had originally picked up Wicked Pleasures the night before to get in the mood for that story line. But when I started reading Chase's book, I found myself doing too much comparison of the two stories. Which, by the way, isn't hard to do since they are twin brothers and pop in and out of each other's stories.

I will say that when I originally read Cam's book, I wasn't all that fond of it. I liked it, sure, but I wasn't closing the book on the last page wishing that there was more. I originally felt that Cam's story was fine. However, a year(ish) later, I came to pick up Cam again and enjoy him much more. So I wonder if this is the same case with Chase's story. But I still have some critiques about his book, Only Pleasure.

The plot is thin in my opinion. The heroine, Kia, was mentioned in previous Bound Hearts books as being a minor threat in the exposure of The Club's secrets. Kia's ex-husband brought in a third into their relationship without telling or asking his wife and subsequently led to the attempted rape of Kia. Okay, I was pretty excited about how this would play out. I thought it would be interested in seeing how Chase would protect Kia from her ex-husband and steal her heart in the process.

I liked Chase from Cam's book. I thought that the more easy going Falladay brother would be a fun read, his slightly lighter personality making for a different tone and feel than his brother Cam. But I didn't find that was the case.

Though it was obvious from the get-go of Cam's book that the presence of Chase wouldn't be permanent, I still thought Chase was a good character. He had been puzzled and hurt about the broken bond between him and his brother and he did provide for a few fun moments in which he teased Cam about falling in love. I expected that Chase would be dominant, protective, and possessive, but slightly lighter hearted than the dark Cam. It worked for their twin dynamic. One darker, one lighter.

But when it came for Chase's book, it was like Cam all over again with one exception: There wasn't much of a reasoning for Chase's darkness. With Cam, it was understood that he kept the sharing lifestyle with Jaci because he was afraid of what loving his woman would mean to his heart. Cam kept his past sexual abuse a secret and the presence of his brother as the third in the relationship helped Cam keep his emotional distance from Jaci.

But what bugged me about Chase's book was that I felt the explanation for his darkness wasn't all that plotted through. Even though there was a thin excuse that because he was the one who killed Moriah, the "villain" from the previous book, Chase made it sound that the darkness was always in him. And yes, those who read Cam's book will see that the Brockheims feature in Chase's book as well. Though I could see the logical progression plot-wise, as a reader, I thought it was too predictable and not original. I felt like Chase just got the leftovers of Cam's story and that the plot just continued through one brother to the next.

All in all, I just didn't feel that there was sufficient explanation on why Chase had such demons in him. The details of Chase's past was glossed over on and if his previous occupation was supposed to be a factor in his present personality, that wasn't ever really fleshed out. I was disappointed because when I read the small glimpse into Chase's past, I was intrigued but it never got explained.

I also found Kia to be lacking as a well rounded character. Yes, she suffered a traumatic experience with her ex and withdrew into herself to lick her wounds. But other than that, I didn't see a lot of character development. She was a little flat to me. I didn't feel too much for her even though I tried. I was able to relate more to Jaci's longing and hurt in Cam's rejection than I did for Kia. Kia was also almost like a Jaci version 2 like Chase is for Cam. Kia feels hurt that Chase doesn't spend the night with her, hold her, etc...blah, blah, just like Jaci worried about Cameron. There was too much mirrored in the previous book in terms of how the characters were written for me to feel like Only Pleasure stood out on its own.

I think a big problem with me really loving this book was the timeline of Chase and Kia's sexual relationship. In the beginning of the story, they meet (again) and suddenly Kia's agreeing to a no strings pleasure session with Chase and Khalid. And then the story just took off like that. With both Kia and Chase refusing to accept what they have together and though Kia vows she won't succumb again, Chase always coaxes her back into bed. It was boring, in all honesty. There wasn't the spark there for me.

There was one big difference between Chase and Cam though. It was made obvious that for Chase and Kia, the addition of a third in their relationship would continue well after their happy ending, unlike Cam and Jaci's monogamous relationship. I think that worked for the two characters. It was obvious that Cam needed the sharing for the distance while Chase enjoyed it for the pleasure. So, I did like that distinction between the brothers.

What did I enjoy? The appearance of Cam and Jaci throughout the story. Chase and Cam still have their shared warehouse converted into a large apartment with Chase's part sectioned off upstairs. And since Cam and Chase works for Ian Sinclair, there were appearances while they worked as well. It was really a great payoff to see Cam settle down, smile, and really enjoy his time with his now fiancee, Jaci. Those who read the previous book will be happy to see slight mentions of Cam and Jaci's life that would otherwise be overlooked by the newcomer. For example, there are mentions of Cam having purchased a new bed and sofa and sweet moments such as the two of them decorating their Christmas tree. In addition, those who read Cam's story will like seeing how Cam treasures Jaci and how he enjoys the little things in life now, such as cuddling with Jaci and sharing his bathroom space with her.

What also made me really happy to read in Only Pleasure? Khalid. Those who have followed the Trojans since they were with Ellora's Cave will love to see a strong presence of Khalid. As Chase's third and a heavy secondary character, we see a new side the to the man who's normally described as the bastard son of a Middle Eastern prince who is a playboy and lives for a good time. Here, as a set up for his own story, we are given a glimpse at what makes Khalid tick and what might bring in his future. Oh, and the connection of Kia and Khalid isn't anything out of the blue, anyone reading the story can easily predict what had occurred between the characters in the past.

For me, unfortunately, I was much more excited about the secondary characters and future stories than I was about Chase and Kia. I felt that their characters were not fleshed out. Basically, I thought the story was a skeleton plot told between pages upon pages of sex with under developed characters. Of course the sex is to be expected, but I just felt like the sex was the driving force of the book, not the characters. For a story like this to work for me, the sex needs to serve a purpose. And for Chase and Kia, I felt like the sex was steering the story and everything else took a backseat. Between Chase and Cam...my choice is still Cam.

I felt that the cover was sexy and I liked the bright orange color that really catches the eye. However, I have seen the identical cover art used in another book and that always makes me disappointed when covers are repeated.

So, Only Pleasure...it's an okay read for those who are used to the series and the characters but not for those who are new because there are a lot of connected facts that makes things easier to understand if one has read the previous book.

Last thing...Kia to me is a car, not a woman's name. I can appreciate authors using different and unique names to make their characters stand out but I just didn't like her name. And for me, unfortunately, if I don't like the name of a character, I have a hard time getting past that. A name is really important for me, especially how the name looks on the page of the book. And while I love the name Chase, Kia is for something on four wheels, not a great heroine.

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2.5 out of 5: So-so read but plot was thin and characters under developed. Those who are fans to the series will enjoy the secondary characters and the hints of the next book.

Fact Overload

2008-12-29T18:41:00.000-08:00

As I have previously posted, I loved Jacquelyn Frank's Jacob. However, when I delved into Gideon, I found like it was just a retelling of all the facts we discovered in Jacob with a little dose of romance between Gideon and Legna. Though I enjoyed the many appearances of Jacob and Bella as secondary characters, Gideon's story wasn't independent enough for me to think of it as a good read.

Disappointed, I put down the series. But I must note that I do own the rest of the Nightwalkers. I have Elijah, Damien, and Noah sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read. When I found out that Frank was coming out with a new loosely connected series, The Shadowdwellers, I was looking forward to a fresh start and hoping to relive the excitement that I felt when I first picked up Jacob.

Boy was I disappointed. There are a few reasons for my dislike of this new novel, Ecstasy. They're listed in the following...

First, the readers are inundated with facts straight off the bat. Initially, when I started the first few chapters, I thought it was an interesting concept. The heroine, Ashla, is involved in a car accident and when she wakes, finds that she is the only occupant of New York. Everything works around her and food is replenished from what seems to be out of thin air, but she is utterly alone, save for occupying herself by shopping to her heart's content without the need for green or plastic. She has a startling encounter with two men who fight to the death and while she heals the victor, Trace, she runs away when he is shocked that not only can she heal his wounds, but she can see him.

But after I read their encounter, I found myself being loaded with paragraphs upon paragraphs of facts of the Shadowdweller world. The narrative went on for pages with no point other than the author needing to convey these facts to the readers. I found myself glazing over the facts and being bored with the lack of conversation and this method of delivery. As a reader, I want to find out about facts through character interaction or through the plot. What I don't want is being told what I need to know all at one time. I want to peel the layers of the plot and this strange new world a few facts at a time, not have it shoved at me.

Second, and this is a biggie: the character connection. To make a successful romance work, the connection of the hero and heroine needs to be established strongly otherwise readers won't buy them as they progress into their romance. I had high hopes for Trace because he possessed a lot of the same traits that Jacob did. Trace is an advisor to his people, much like how Jacob is the Enforcer for the Demons, acting like the second in command to Noah. Trace is basically like that. But Trace's connection to Ashla isn't set up as strongly as Jacob was to Bella.

Trace and Ashla's first sexual interlude was too...crude, for a lack of a better word. It was supposed to be that way because of Trace succumbing to euphoria in the Shadowscape. But, as a reader, I didn't like seeing this first connection written like this. It wasn't done well, in my opinion. First sexual encounters set up a tone and baseline for what the reader expects. Sometimes it's fast and hard because the characters can't get to each other fast enough. Sometimes it's infinitely tender to savor the moment.

But I found Trace and Ashla's encounter to be sorely lacking. It wasn't animistic like Lora Leigh's Breeds. Leigh's "cruder" sex scenes are sometimes hard, yes, (like in the first half of Tanner's Scheme) but there is some cushion provided for the reader. (As in the alpha male's need to sate his mate and to take care of her even if his mind doesn't jive with what his heart is telling him) However, I found that Trace's rough sex scenes and his concern for only his enjoyment because of euphoria was too tough to swallow. There was little concern for Ashla and though she didn't feel slighted, I as the reader, didn't appreciate it. I was hoping that the connection of the characters would be rectified, but it wasn't.

Third, I felt like the characters were too undeveloped. Ashla carries wounds from her mother telling her that she's the spawn of the devil. Yes, that's a bit lame but I'll overlook it. Ashla isn't a very strong character. She doesn't have much of a backbone and Trace calls her a "submissive." I, personally, do like a heroine that isn't a ball buster but my lack of feeling toward Ashla wasn't because she was submissive, but because she was too flat. Her personality was written well for a secondary character, not for the main heroine. All in all, I cared very little and connected even less about the heroine, which doesn't bode well for a romance book.

Additionally, I think there were elements of Trace that were hinted at but sadly undeveloped as well. We find out that he was prisoner of war and tortured but that wasn't discussed much (if at all), and while we're told that Ashla helps mend those wounds in Trace, the reader doesn't feel that at all. Basically, it came down to the fact that I cared very little about the couple and thought that their connection was nil.

Fourth, there was too much going on trying to keep the plot afloat. Trace's life is on the line because there are traitors among their higher ranking counsel members and someone is trying to undermine the authority of the government. There were more than just the point of views from Trace and Ashla. There were at least four other characters having their own bits and pieces told from their POVs. A reason that I felt so under connected with the main couple is because of all that superfluous noise (POVs) from characters that shouldn't have taken precedence in a book that should be all about Trace and Ashla.

Fifth was the sexual element. As an obvious attempt to ramp up the sexuality in this new series, we're told through Trace that the Shadowdwellers really value sex ed. Now, this isn't the run of the mill "insert tab B into slot A" kind of education. Shadowdwellers are given all kinds of sexual education from different forms of foreplay to classes given to youngsters in which they observe a couple engaging in sexual play.

Now, if this were a book under an erotica label, I'd understand this. But the reader is given no signs of this kind of turn in the plot. It kind of comes out of left field and I don't think it was handled all that well. Given the (somewhat) disastrous first sexual encounter of Trace and Ashla where it was devoid of the necessary emotional connection, it felt like Frank brought up this whole "sex ed" factor to give a little umph to the book. I did not like it. It wasn't all that hot and it just didn't work for me. Where it was intended to be sexy, came off as forced and a thinly veiled contrivance to try to sex up the book. Sex in romance books, even in erotica, should serve a purpose and I felt that in this scenario, it didn't.

In many instances, I felt like Ecstasy was a reworking of Jacob but with a different coat of paint. There were many similarities and felt like I was being cheated out of what should be an original series. Bella and Ashla share similar characteristics as to why humans would fit into this world of Others. But with Ashla, the answer comes as no surprise to the reader. Once you figure out a few hints, the "surprise" is no surprise at all. Trace is like Jacob, defending his people but caught up in this distracting web with the heroine. But Trace wasn't written as well as Jacob; his character not as fleshed out as he should have been. Both hero and heroine were too flat, too one dimensional, for the reader to truly care for their outcome. The plot as a whole was too factual and didn't flow as well as I would have hoped. Events seemed to occur and characters drifted in and out with no real direction other than to reach the end. I finished the book because it was there, not because I couldn't put it down.

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1.5 out of 5: For reasons mentioned in the review, I didn't enjoy the book though I had high hopes for it to succeed. I have enjoyed Frank's books before but was disappointed by this new venture. I felt that it had some points for originality with how humans fit into the Shadow world, but the execution of the book was what made it fail in my eyes.

Sexual Evolution

2008-12-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Christine Feehan's books and I share a weird relationship. With her Carpathian series, I can't stand them. And I really tried. 5 different (and completely read) Carpathian books. I just think there's too much going on. There's the vampire part (which is what drew me to them in the first place), but then there's also this nature element with their connection and rejuvenation in the Earth, the animal connection, and everything that makes the Carpathians what they are. In the end, I feel like the series is a combination of too much and the darkness of the characters without a hint of any levity is too unbalanced for me.

However, I do love the Ghostwalkers. When I first picked up Predatory Game, I was very hesitant about it given my past with other Feehan novels. But something about that particular book drew me in. I liked the characters more than the plot or setting and something about the alpha-male hero, Jesse, being in a wheelchair flared an interest in me. I then picked up the rest of the Ghostwalkers and enjoyed them. Some more than others, but overall, I felt like there was a definite shift in the writer's voice from the Carpathians to the Ghostwalkers. So much so, that at times, I can't believe that these two series came from the same author.

The newest to the series, Murder Game, brings forth an author's evolution within her own series. Not only is the book significantly longer than the others, but the pacing and feel of the book was different as well. Sex was much more prevalent than in the others and the hero, Kadan, felt like a meshing of the previous male Ghostwalkers. There is a lot of Jack Norton's possessive drive that shows up in Kadan, perhaps more to an extreme this time around.

However, there is also humor that seems to be lacking from some of the previous books. We see a lot of the other Ghostwalkers: Rye, Nico, Gator, the Norton twins, Tucker, and Ian with a strong emphasis on the first three men and also mentions of their wives with a short glimpse of Mari, Ken's wife. Though to my great disappointment, there was the notable absence of our previous hero and heroine, Jesse and Saber.

Back to the evolution of the series. I found that sometimes, when authors are feeling out a new series, things not only get more complicated (as they should be), but sometimes the idea of sexual boundaries are pushed further within the series. With Murder Game, I was surprised to see the mention of oral sex written out so blatantly and early in the course of things. There was also a really hot scene where right after they finish, Kadan tells Tansy to "slide down my body and get me hard." (Feehan, 242) There was just something so hot about Kadan telling Tansy that he wanted her again like that. I've not yet come across that request worded quite like that before even though I've read about 500 of these romances. Not only was there much more sex within this book, but things seemed more desperate and Kadan is much more possessive than what is to be normally expected of an alpha-male.

I found that Kadan and Tansy's courtship was swift in getting serious. Unlike with Nico and Dahlia where Nico was still trying to convince Dahlia to stay with him forever in the last chapter, Kadan really gets to business straight away. Within the first fourth of the book, Kadan and Tansy have already slept together and Kadan makes his lasting intentions known. But what was pleasantly surprising was Tansy's acceptance of it. In addition, I liked how the heroine was not easily embarrassed. But she wasn't the maneater, sexually out there, kind either. She realized early on that Kadan needed her physical touch, even in front of his teammates, and Tansy didn't hesitate to let him pull her close or kiss her in front of others. Feehan walked a fine line there by writing Tansy like that, but it worked and I liked it.

Murder Game is heavy on the characters; mainly, it's connection between the hero and heroine instead of plot. I felt that the plot moved rather slowly up until the very end, where I felt like it was rushed, but there was a lot of repetitive scenes. There were many scenes with Tansy feeling the murder scene game pieces and getting sucked into other people's feelings and darkness and then Kadan pulling her out of it, telling her that it's too dangerous, and eventually getting rid of her nightmares with sex. The entire bulk of the book was like that. Tansy seeking out further clues about the murders and Kadan hovering near by protectively.

But when we reach the end of the book, where the Ghostwalkers go hunting, the killing of the murderers are done less than a page each. I felt like the conclusion of the book was too rushed. Instead of revealing bits and pieces of the plot's conclusion, the reader was quickly pushed headlong into the ending. However, if you prefer the character connection more than the plot, then you will enjoy this one as much as I did. I think that the love evolution between Kadan and Tansy was very well written (given the characteristics of the male Ghostwalkers), though I can pinpoint many elements that appeal to my personal tastes and therefore why I've enjoyed this one so much.

The plot of the book, like I've mentioned, seems thin. There are murders happening both on the East and West coast and it's apparent that the men who are committing the murders are enhanced and the Ghostwalkers are being blamed. To clear their name, Kadan seeks out Tansy who has used her psychic ability to track killers. But every time she handles the game pieces left at the murder scenes to dig out more clues to help the Ghostwalkers, Tansy gets a huge rush of dark emotions and most of the time, she can't control the energy flowing into her.

A continuity thread throughout the book are some personal descriptive words in certain situations. Eyes are repeatedly described with Tansy's odd violet/blue eyes shifting from opaque to shimmering as a sign of her psychic abilities and Kadan's dark blue eyes described as a part of the darkness within him. Kadan is the "Ice Man" with ice flowing through his veins, devoid of all warmth due to a traumatic event when he was a child. Tansy is always (and I do mean, always) described as smelling like cinnamon and it serves to be an aphrodisiac for Kadan which leads to a funny scene about the other Ghostwalkers teasing him about it.

Like I've said, the bulk of the book is repetitive and the plot isn't really all that exciting. I felt like the reason this book is longer is that the editor did minimum cleaning on the manuscript. A lot of so-called "extra" scenes depicting hero and heroine interaction that would've been cut from other books were left. Some of the scenes felt like a collection of "additional scenes" that an author would've posted up on a website as a bonus for readers. For example, while some books only have one scene showing some early morning/post-coital cuddling, Murder Game has a handful. If you like that kind of thing, you'll love this book.

However, I don't think the cover was done well. The main draw of the cover is the man's face which really pulls your eyes to that graphic. First of all, the face doesn't have enough angles to be Kadan. The graphic clearly shows a male with brown eyes while Kadan is repeatedly described as having blue eyes so dark that they seemed black. And the little sillhoutte of the climber didn't fit in either. Yes, we first meet Tansy out in the wilderness but I don't think the climber fits well into the book. A cougar or even just a depiction of the game pieces would've worked better.

Ultimately, I liked this Ghostwalker the best because of its concentration to the couple pairing more so than the plot. But for those fans who are looking for a wild adrenaline-filled ride with bullets flying and whatnot will be disappointed with Kadan's book. But if you like a male who recognizes his mate straightaway and his (slightly easy) acceptance of it, you'll like this book. Murder Game is about connection and the characters falling in love when neither thought they would ever be able to be in a normal relationship with another person. There was something very sweet about Kadan's mother hen tendencies. Well, if a mother hen looked and acted like a wolf. This book is a great reunion of the other Ghostwalkers and with a hint of humor that lights up this book where the others were a bit lacking.

Murder Game is a must read for any Ghostwalker fan but those new to the series who expect more action might want to start with the others first. There are a lot of connective facts that were presented from previous novels that might confuse readers if read out of order. Fans of previous Ghostwalker heroes will be delighted to see a large role as secondary characters throughout the entire book.

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4.5 out of 5: I give it a higher rating because it appealed to my personal tastes more than an universal romance audience. Heavy on hero and heroine connection while thin on plot movement.

The Big E

2008-10-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Erotica.

Ah, the wild child of the Romance Family. The book that's hidden under your pillow or in the bedside 'goodie drawer.' The niche within the genre that even the regular romance readers wouldn't be dared caught with. So, is it really that big of a deal? Or has the E of the family garnered a much bigger rep than deserved?

Let's take a look...

Okay, let's face it, erotica is basically everything that non-romance readers (and therefore, ignorant) ridicule about the entire genre of romance. But is that deserved? I don't think so.

Once a reader can get over that Jr. High giggly feel of "oh my god are they really doing that?", erotica isn't all that abnormal. I think some readers would be surprised to know that sometimes, erotica can cross very much into the regular mainstream romance field. In fact, sometimes I scratch my head when finished reading a book that was published under the heading of erotica and wondered why it wasn't labeled as run-of-the-mill romance. And the reverse is true as well. I've been thoroughly surprised at some of the 'regular' romance and wondered why it wasn't published as erotica.

Here are some of my thoughts and theories...

Erotica, as many can deduce, usually combines much more sex within the plot. And yes, well written erotica actually have plots. The good ones are not just a few hundred pages of straight up sex. Sometimes, yes. The ones that are published with those little e-publishers or specific sections of e-books such as Samhain or Ellora's Cave where they have little novellas of a hundred pages can be pure sex. Sometimes good, but mostly bad without a plot.

But even those e-publishers can churn out pretty good stuff and some of it isn't even steamy. In fact, some very common romance names arise from those smaller e-publishers. Those who are fans of Lora Leigh know that the Breeds started as e-books and was later picked up by Berkley, as well as her Bound Heart series. Many authors that are a commonplace on today's Borders shelves began as e-books. So don't knock those e-publishers before you've tried.

Back to plot and erotica. Well written erotica have plots. But what makes it different from mainstream romance? The lines aren't all that well defined, but here are some of my thoughts. Erotica usually explore some kind of female fantasy. BDSM, threesomes, various toys, etc. You get the idea. Why would those appeal to a wider generalized female audience that might not actually be open to doing those things in their real lives, you might ask?

Well, let's remember that most, if not all, romance writers are women. So, there's already that female slant apparent there from the get-go. But erotica writers take those things mentioned above and twist those fantasies with a side of female perspective. Let's take the threesome fantasy.

Threesomes. Yeah, every college guy's dream to be sandwiched between two women, right? Well, erotica writers usually have two men instead of two women making up the threesome. Most mainstream erotica writers have two men because the base point of the threesome is giving the woman ultimate pleasure instead of the singular male taking pleasure from two women. And usually, the men don't interact with each other, solely concentrating on the female. Yes, there are authors who break the rules with bisexual male characters are fool around with each other and the female in question, but as a rule, there is no male to male contact happening. Why is this a female fantasy? The men in these threesomes are always written as channeling all their focus to the female. They are dominant, possessive, and protective of that female. And the usual ending is that the female ends with only one of the guys with the happily ever after. Though threesomes might not generally appeal to everyone, those who like their alpha heroes protective and possessive can understand that one upmanship mentality of this plot line.

As I have said, there are authors who break the rules. There's an unspoken romance rule that once the hero meets the heroine, he or she doesn't have sexual contact with anyone else. It's hard for the reader to reconcile that image with what they know will eventually become a happy ending for the main couple. Even if the rule is broken, there's usually a misguided attempt to protective themselves or the partner from what the character views as a necessity. In general, they just don't fool around with anyone else once they've met their mate.

Who breaks the rules? Well, Emma Holly comes to mind. She breaks the sleeping with others rule and the bisexual rule as well. You might have noticed that mainstream romance don't have bisexual characters. Emma Holly does. I've read a nice handful of her books and they're just not my style. I had a hard time in her books where the hero or heroine not only has sex with others even though the main couple has been established, but that they play for both teams. Just not my style.

Sometimes, I wonder just how erotica is labeled versus romance because just saying that erotica has more sex doesn't seem to apply. (More research is needed as theses are just my thoughts and observations versus actual knowledge of publishing). Take Shannon McKenna or Lora Leigh. Have you read a McKenna and sometimes had to put her down because all that child abuse, organ harvesting, sex for forty pages get too much for you? Or have you read a Leigh book as a Breed newbie and been shocked at the roughness of the sex? How do they get shelved as normal romance? Perhaps it's the amount of plot that balances the sex or maybe there's just not enough of sexual fantasies that qualify them as erotica.

Think erotica might be for you? How do you find the right one for you? Erotica is definitely not written for the general public. Especially the ones that have sexual fantasies versus copious amounts of (unnecessary) sex. Read for yourself. That's my advice. The ones that I've enjoyed more than once are ones that I would have never thought I would enjoy. And the ones that I thought might be my taste wore off their sheen much faster than anticipated.

For me, a good plot is necessary for my erotica. And the sexual fantasies have to have a viable reason to exist. I think one of my firsts was Lacey Alexander's Voyeur. Don't let the title fool you, it isn't just all voyeuristic stuff. It's actually a surprise hodgepodge of fantasies. Everything from threesomes, usage of toys, (semi) public sex, to yes, voyeurism. The plot, however, is very weak. In fact, when I do pick it up from time to time, I skip it. It was a fair introduction to erotica but tended to lean towards unnecessary and somewhat unbelievable sex.

Choosing erotica is very personal. (Obviously). One that I have enjoyed is Shayla Black's Decadent. Very surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did, and still continue to enjoy it. I wasn't all that into the first one in this loosely connected series with characters who know each other. Wicked Ties wasn't the right fit for me. The dom/sub theme wasn't quite right. I did, however, enjoy the steady plot that accompanied it. When I tried out Decadent I was shocked to find that the story of the threesome to appeal. It was written with all the right plot points that made it work for me. Two men made up the menage, but it was clear from the beginning that it was only Deke that Kimber had deeper feelings for and not the other male, Luc. But with two alphas that were strong, protective, and covering all a girl's fantasy needs...well, Shayla Black is a go for my erotica.

For my mainstream need so-called erotica that sometimes crosses the line of romance into the big E is Lora Leigh. Her books definitely have a plot as a main function of the book instead of just seemingly random sex peppered throughout the book. However, a few of her books certainly have a harder edge to it. The new continuation of the Bound Heart series published through St. Martin's Griffin have a more selective brand of sex. It tells the story of the Trojan men who are a part of a Club that was well established in the e-books. The first oversized paperback was Forbidden Pleasure which was enjoyable but ultimately not my kind of book. The idea of the two men ending up sharing one woman was definitely a fantasy for me but wasn't my bag.

However, the second one, Wicked Pleasure, was more to my tastes. The hero, Cam, is definitely in love with the heroine while his twin brother, Chase, just holds affection and lust for her. Cam was always in the light as the hero for the book and Jaci was his ultimate heroine. Cam was scarred from some mysterious childhood nightmare that haunted his present. Leigh just wrote an alpha male that was delicious. All hard angles and arrogance. Possessive and protective to a fault. There's nothing better. Plus, Jaci took no crap from the men but was soft enough to provide the comfort that Cam needed and craved for his life.

And come on...is that not a sexy cover for the book or what? I like how the graphic artist paid attention to the book, adding in that pop art yellow belt and the rain detail. Great to see a cover actually have a legitimate tie-in with a scene in the book.

I am looking forward to seeing Chase get his own happy ending in Only Pleasure, a novel that comes out in January of 2009. All in all, Leigh is my more mainstream brand of erotica that blurs the lines between run of the mill romance and the "harder stuff."

So, is erotica for you? Maybe not. But you never know until you try...

He Said, She Said

2008-06-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here and there, on and off, I've picked up Jennifer Crusie through BookMooch. I started out with one of her novels with great disappointment. Hailed in her reviews as somewhat of the premiere of romantic comedies, I had originally been really excited to read her. I love a fun comedic-romantic romp especially lying under the lazy sun on weekends with nothing to do but breeze through a book with a bottle of sunscreen on the side and something cold to drink close at hand. But my first Crusie was such a disappointment. The chemistry was lacking, the characters were too many, and I found myself utterly confused and I gave up trying to work out who was related to whom, which couple was interested in each other, what their backgrounds were, etc.

But times went by and as usual, I ran out of things to read so Crusie was once again making my reading list. And it got better. Marginally. I found Anyone But You mildly entertaining even though I'm not always a fan of the older woman-younger man plot simply because I feel that many authors simply concentrate on the age and it feels like they're beating a dead horse. But the characters were fun and the dog in the story provided some interesting moments and I closed the book with a shrug and a decision to give Crusie another try. Next was Getting Rid of Bradley. It sounded fun and uncomplicated and though I thought a lot of the Bradley mixups were a bit eye-rolling-worthy, I went with it and enjoyed it on the most part.

When I found a copy of Manhunting on BookMooch as well as a downloadable version of it as an audiobook via the online library catalog, I thought Crusie would provide another brief respite between my bouts of reading heavier books. As this was now my fourth Crusie, I was able to pinpoint what I enjoyed and what I found disappointing with her books.

While her books do provide some fun characters and the tension is adequate, I find that she would serve as a 'lite' sort of romance read. The kind where the tension slowly builds, but not a frenzy fever-pitch kind of tension, just a slow pressure cooker that boils up to a quick simmer. The sexual chemistry is enough but doesn't melt the reader and the sex scenes are more vanilla and tame in terms of not being graphic. There's usually one single sex scene, the first, and the others are not as explicit and evoke more of a 'lead the reader up to the moment where they hit the bed and the scene closes.' While it's not the lack of sex that doesn't hit the spot with me as a reader, it's the simmer-type of tension that leaves me feeling that something is lacking. The tension and connection between the hero and heroine seem to be just enough but not quite enough to make me truly care for them and be totally involved in the story. The tension, or lack thereof, makes me just want to read to the end for the sake of finishing the book because I know they'll end up together.

Back to Manhunting. Specifically, what I just mentioned above about the tension applies to Jake and Kate. Yes, the reader can see the underlying attraction between the two even though they each respectively think that the other doesn't fit the bill for their idea of a perfect mate. Obviously, as the reader, we can see the currents when they're out together every morning 'fishing.' But when they got that jolt touching while playing pool, I wasn't surprised. And when they had that moment where Kate was giving Jake his beer and he flirted, I was only thinking, "Geez, finally." The tension between the two of them just simmered.

But the purpose of this post and its connection to Manhunting is the audiobook version. First off, I have to concede to the point that I did enjoy the narrator voicing Jake. There was a slight southern drawl that was just enough and not over the top. Plus, her 'man voice' was low enough to convey a male character without seeming outrageous as I've complained before. However, I do have some complaints about this one. The narrator does not allow enough time between sentences and characters to give the listener a true distinction between narration, dialogue, and switching of characters. It seems that the sentences flow together too quickly, as if I was just reading the book out loud instead of hearing it acted out on audiobook. And while the first complaint is dependent solely on the narrator, the second one isn't. I just noticed it more because I was listening to it.

Crusie uses a lot of 'he said,' 'she saids.' Take a look. At first I really didn't notice. But then it became really apparent. Especially when the narrator rushed through the 'Kate said' and 'Jake said.' The lack of adequate pause exasperated the problem because right after the dialogue, I would be hearing, "Kate said." It got to a point where I could just speak along with the narrator while I'm driving even though I'm just guessing when the next 'Kate/Jake said' will appear. Come on, Crusie, vary it please. And perhaps other descriptions would work just as well without having to use the words, 'he/she said.'

Funny how a book can take on a whole new face when listened to in an audio format. Some authors are just not meant to be converted into audiobooks. My favorite author in audiobook format? Though it's not in the romance genre, the honor would hands down have to go to Orson Scott Card. Quoted as saying that the ideal way to enjoy his books is through an audio platform, the cast of characters are properly voiced with amazing talents, the characters are acted out for the listener without being overdone, and overall, it adds a new dimension to enjoy Card's books. That's the ultimate audiobook achievement: being able to give the reader a new and higher level of appreciation of the book. If the audiobook gives the reader new insight on top of what the print version provided, then the audiobook is a success.

Understandably, it's much harder to make an audiobook a success even if the book is a raving hit.

The Urban Paranormal Eve Dallas?

2008-05-22T02:26:00.000-07:00

I wondered why Amazon kept on throwing Servant: The Awakening at me. Then I realized that L.L. Foster is Lori Foster's pen name for her new adventure into urban paranormal romance genre. Good move to write under a new(ish) name because it certainly is a departure from the usual Foster fair. The setting, tone, and characters are dark, the wit is bounding off the pages as it usually is, and your heroine is so stubborn that it makes you want to strangle her sometimes.

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The plot itself isn't all that fantastic: Gaby Cody, has a calling from God, sending her into the world with the unique vision of seeing evil for what it truly is. She alone can penetrate the facade of skin and bones and recognize evil at face value. Alone in her vigilante efforts to save the world, she is an extremely odd mix of innocence and world-hardened weariness. At twenty-one, she has the eyes of a warrior and the cynicism that is unparalleled. When a crime attracts the attention of Detective Luther Cross, Gaby's world is suddenly embroiled in the tangling mess of legalities.

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Okay, first off, as it appears from above, the plot is no master work. It's straightforward, with little to no twists. To cap it all off, it's a very obvious effort to launch a new series. Given all that, I must admit that I did not want to read it when I first came across it. And I also didn't want to read it when I came across it the second, third, and fourth time either. First, it was the cover. Ironically, Foster has a note on her new L.L. Foster site that states she's quite happy with the cover. On one hand, I can see that Foster was given the star treatment in the sense that the art department did take time to incorporate Gaby's likeness into the computer generate model, specifically adding the leather choker that comes into play during a scene between Luther and Gaby. Other than the glaringly large misrepresentation of Gaby possessing cantaloupe-sized breasts when they're described more in the lines of mosquitoes bite-sized. Another PR ploy that one must overlook...

Second reason why I never wanted to pick up the book was the issue of names. I don't like the name Luther. Don't have much of a reason other than it doesn't exactly strike me personally as a hero name that signals strength and all that. But obviously I got over all of that and took a shot in the dark...

Funny how I immediately thought of Eve Dallas when I began reading Gaby's character. Why? All that surly, snarky, tomboyish behavior. However, there's a very contradictory innocence that softens Gaby's character even though she's got the mouth of a sailor. As a side note, for those who complain about the amount of bad language: I don't think it's all that bad as some reviewers on Amazon makes it sound. Perhaps it's coming from the heroine that makes people cringe. But eh, I can let it go given the urban paranormal genre. Gaby's innocence provided a few scenes that were a bit lighthearted, given the circumstances. The ones where Gaby is questioning Luther about what she saw brought a smirk to my face. For me, I can't compare Eve Dallas to Gaby Cody simply because I don't see enough parallels other than what I mentioned above. Eve is a grown woman and for some reason, the fact that Gaby is so young makes a difference for me. Maybe the largest linking factor to Dallas is that both these series feature the heroine first and the couple second. It threw me off in the reading pattern when I anticipated seeing Luther's point of view but was not given to me until a good handful of pages later.

The biggest kicker? There is NO sex. Admittedly, I can see several reasons for it. First, it's an obvious set-up to make sure the reader buys the next book. The lack of sex is enough to prompt me to want to pick up the next one to see how Luther and Gaby settle things. Second, the book is too short. I say that because the book starts off very slowly and the fact that it's only 292 pages just wasn't enough with all that internal dialoging going on. With Gaby's extreme innocence and the slowness of the plot, it wouldn't have made much sense to put in a sex scene when Luther is just beginning to give Gaby her first kiss. But come on! A romance book with no more sexual action than a brief few paragraph kiss? Feel shortchanged? Perhaps. But I admire the bold move. In fact, for this reader, it did its job of prolonging the anticipation.

The connection between Luther Cross and Gaby Cody is sufficient but not electric. It amused me when most of their meetings began or ended with her trying to unman, maim, or generally dispose of him. And oddly enough, it didn't put me off as much as I thought it would. Some readers might question Luther's attraction to Gaby, buy hey...who can really explain Roarke's intense attraction for Eve who can be as surly as a baited bear most of the time? Therefore, I don't question much the idea of 'why' Cross is attracted other than his own explanation of "scent, attitude, and expression."

Is it worth the $7.99? No. Is it worth the dollar I paid at the used bookstore? Yes. It's interesting enough and for me, the oddly (and perhaps, twisted) mix of Gaby's vigilante save-the-world hero complex and her naive mentality works. I know that it won't work for many. But I have no problem with it. It's no brain teaser. It's a straightforward, call 'em like you see it plot with characters that are only showing the potential for growth by the end of the book. A fairly decent beach read, but don't expect it to give you the thrill of the entire rollar coaster. For me, I would say it's more like a mediocre little bump, not a jaw dropping feeling. Still, as I turned the last page I couldn't help but want to know what happens next. So yes, this first in the series did its job of luring me into the next...

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2 out of 5: Lower rating because the book does not have a plot and characters that can truly cast a wide net as normal Foster novels do. But, I can admire her new foray into a new genre. It had some unique moments between the characters but it's doubtful that it will be a reread book.

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Servant: The Awakening

An Angel for a Drinking Buddy

2008-05-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Erin McCarthy's second venture into a darker world has proved to be more intriguing than the first. Originally, when I picked up My Immortal, I didn't know that it was McCarthy's 'dark side.' But while I found the concept interesting, and definitely a journey away from her lighthearted romantic comedies, it just didn't do much for me. The story, the characters...it didn't work as well as I had anticipated. However, I wasn't about to write off the second installment, Fallen, simply because I found some hiccups with the first book. Good thing, because Fallen was much improved.

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Gabriel was sent to Earth to watch and protect humans. But once he waded into the darkness of humanity, the sins, the crimes, the sorrow, he turned to the bottle to drown out the desperate cries. His fall from grace is due to the sin of gluttony. Specifically that of addiction. Addicted to absinthe, and other various drinks and drugs, Gabriel lives for every night to crawl away from the grime of Earth for the comfort of his mistress's arms and the green fairy of absinthe. But when his mistress, Anne, is murdered right before him, Gabriel cannot remember a thing because of his drug-induced haze.

Soon after Anne's murder, Gabriel discovers his penance for his sin. Every woman he comes into physical contact with, especially after sex, all become obsessed with him. Obsessed with his touch, his presence, his entire being. The women become obsessed to the point where they feel like they cannot live without him. Many took their own lives. The need to be with Gabriel consumes the women. It mirror's Gabriel's obsessions of addiction.

A hundred and fifty years later, and sober for seventy-five of it, Gabriel is still seeking to solve the murder of Anne. When a similar murder pops up in the present day, Gabriel contacts the victim's daughter who is also a forensic scientist to collaborate on the true crime novel he's writing. Gabriel, however, isn't as focused on writing the book as he is determined to find out once and for all, with the aid of modern science, whether or not he was the killer.

Sara has an a personal motive to help Gabriel as well. Not only does she see the similarities of both murders: her mother and Anne were murdered with a similar weapon, setting, and both boyfriends were accused of doing the deed, but Sara's interest is just as personal as Gabriel's. What Sara is hiding is that not only was her mother murdered, but Anne is her great-great-grandmother. The women of her family, save one, have all been cursed to die from unsolved murders. And as the sole surviving female in the family, Sara's next.

Working together to slowly piece together the details of Anne's murder, Gabriel finds that Sara's quiet presence in his life is making him crave contact again. While the draw together, Gabriel knows that he cannot touch Sara. Though it's evident that Sara's will is strong and can therefore kiss Gabriel without falling into addiction, Gabriel cannot risk too much contact for fear that Sara will meet a gruesome end.

As their relationship moves to its zenith, the search for the answer to the murders come together. The murders of Sara's mother and of Anne seem to be more than just similar, all signs point to the same killer.

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In some sense, Fallen follows closely to the example set by the first book. They both deal with a heroes that are fallen angels whom are now demons, heroines that have a link to the hero's past, a climax that involves the heroine finding out that the past and the present concerns the same man, and a desperate search to be together. The heroes have both been burned by love in the past and for that, they are currently paying for their sins. The biggest obstacle in both books is the fact that the heroes are immortal, while the heroine is not. Similarly, the sex in both are very limited with large portions of the book dealing with the eventual slow build up because of the nature of the story: the heroes know that it is 'forbidden' to touch in the sense that it can cause the heroine harm.

However, what makes Fallen a better story for me is the characterization and the surprising twists of the plot itself. Fallen doesn't deal too much with the 'forbidden touch' effect as much as the character's need to solve the murders. So, from the beginning, while the slow sexual tension builds for Gabriel and Sara, the story is much more about them finding out clues about Anne's murder than it is Gabriel and Sara each internally dialoguing how they want to be together. That element was much appreciated because the reader wasn't constantly barraged with fact that Gabriel can't touch Sara for her own sake. The plot moves quickly because they are coming closer to the mysteries of the murders.

The characters were also written in a more fluid manner this time around. Each deal with their own problems, though they mirror each other's. Not only does Gabriel struggle with his past addiction, but so does Sara. And while Gabriel has had a hold on his addictions for the past seventy-five years, he can see Sara's fresher struggle with sleeping and pain pills. Since Gabriel knows what Sara is going through, it creates a safe haven for Sara to finally begin to cope with her inner demons. But what made this story flow much better is the fact that it does have its moments of light heartedness. Not a lot, but enough to give a ray of light to shine here and there. Specifically, the fact that Gabriel instigates a few of those moments, and doesn't resist some lines of gentle teasing, lightens a dark paranormal book just enough for the reader to feel like they're not constantly surrounded by darkness. For me personally, My Immortal was too consistently dark, page after page with no moments of relief. And while Fallen is written in the same dark prose, setting, and feeling, the few moments of lightness are enough to balance the story. For example, the discovery of the kitten, the random quality of Gabriel's character, and other tiny moments were appreciated to give the story a more well-rounded feeling.

Another thing that makes this story better than its predecessor is the surprisingly quality of Gabriel being the one to express love first. While it was ironic for this kind of plot for the hero to say the three fateful words first, it felt right for the story. Additionally, it wasn't until the very last pages for it to happen. It was about seventy-five percent of the way through. I thought that it was a good move to place the acceptance of love (somewhat) earlier in the novel so that the real climax centered back on the murders and of Sara deciding if she can have a relationship with Gabriel knowing that they can't physically touch. I liked how the big explanation of Gabriel being immortal and an ex-angel who's now a demon wasn't too drawn out. McCarthy sneakily slipped in Gabriel being able to open a person's mind and giving them his own memories. It was a nice little device for McCarthy to write in so that there wasn't going to be a whole denial scene where Sara just rejects the truth. There's no denying it when Sara is able to feel all of Gabriel's past and present emotions for herself. It was refreshing to read that Sara just accepted the truth for what it was with little to no rejection of it being impossible.

While categorized as paranormal, there wasn't too much paranormal things happening in the story itself. Other than the fact that Gabriel is a fallen angel and an immortal, there isn't a lot of paranormal elements in the sense that most of the story is very much 'normal.' Gabriel still eats and sleeps, functions during the day, and everything else that is normal to a man. Even though it's labeled as paranormal, this way works much better because the story is all about the solving of the murders and of Gabriel drawing closer to Sara.

Like I mentioned earlier, because of the basic premise of the story, the sex is limited and most of the novel is spent on a slow sexual build up of tension. Surprisingly enough, I didn't feel cheated in terms of a lack of sexual chemistry. The tension between Gabriel and Sara was a slow culmination and while the actual deed was done with little bells or whistles, it was sufficient. I didn't feel like the passion exploded off the page as I would expect for so much build up, but it wasn't lacking so much that I felt disappointed. Funny enough, I wanted the murders to be solved more than I cared about the sex scenes (which is practically a first), but I felt that the emotional connection was written strongly enough that I wanted to read about it instead of the actual sex. So, while this story contains minimal amounts of the actual sex, the emotional content was done nicely. The characters took their time in getting to know one another instead of just jumping into bed and their feelings took precedence over physical release.

I can't say that I appreciate the cover very much. The angel concept I think was a good addition to parallel the actual story, but the figure of the woman didn't jive. The lower back tattoo was especially out of place. Too much of an obvious attempt to sex up the cover. It didn't match with the characterization of Sara other than the fact that she's a blonde. But the cover does reflect the darker turn of writing that McCarthy is trying to advertise. While not the best of covers, it's certainly not the worst I've seen and other than the back-baring dress and the out-of-place tat, it's a decent job of the art department.

The concept of the seven deadly sins coupled with that of fallen angels that are now demons is an interesting one. From the first book to the second installment, it seems that McCarthy is honing the delicate craft of writing a darker romance. There seems to be an evolution of her writing and I can only hope that the next one continues that learning experience.

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4 out of 5: Novel is focused more on the actual plot than the sexual tension but it's written in a way that that reader wants to find out about the mystery more than read a run-of-the-mill sex scene. Connection of hero and heroine is more emotional than physical but it fits with the tempo of the story. Plot provides a twist here and there and is interesting to see the mystery continue on for a bit even when it seems that questions have been answered. A few moments of light heartedness are provided to balance out the darker overall feel of the story. A keeper and a reread copy for when I'm in the mood for a bit of darkness.

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Fallen

Props to the Art Department

2008-05-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Who hasn't read Lori Foster? Truly? If you like romances, or more specifically, contemporary romances, it's a pretty safe guess to say that you've come across at least one of Foster's books. She's quite the heavy hitter. Penning mostly light hearted contemporaries (not counting her new foray into darker urban fantasies), Foster has consistently turned out books that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

However, I must note as an aside that I never become too emotionally embroiled in a Foster book. While I wouldn't go as far as saying they're just a dime a dozen, she gives me just enough to whet my appetite, satisfy it for the moment, but never really pull at my heartstrings. When I say that, I mean that I'm not teetering on the emotional ledge like I would for some other books. But, I will say that they are very enjoyable and it's a rare instance for me to come across a Foster that I really didn't like. If I happen to favor one book over another, it's just because of character traits of the hero/heroine and nothing to do with Foster's writing.

Foster's heroes have a bit of an old world feel to me. That is, the men are men. Big, protective, possessive, and I can't help but notice that all her men are usually described as hairy. That always makes me laugh. Apparently, in Foster world, hair on a man makes him manly. But the descriptions are always followed by something along the lines of: But not too hairy to turn her off. No, it was just enough to make her feel that pang of delicious heat deep inside... I'm guessing that for Foster, manscaping is nothing a real man would do. Heh, heh...

In continuing with Foster's men, they don't waver much from her (so called) formula. If you like reading male characters that are manly, capable, and generally good-looking, Foster will please. She does for me. Personally, when I'm in the mood for reading Foster, it means that I'm in the mood for a male who feels that his one reason for living is to protect the innocent and that, without a doubt, includes the heroine. No matter if she wants him to or whether she's attractive or not, she's going to get that protection.

So, why was I so hesitant to read Unexpected? The gender roles seem to be reversed. Since Ray was the merc who is hired to help retrieve Eli Connors's missing brother, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a Foster in which the heroine gave off more traditional masculine vibes than the hero did. Glad I was wrong!

Yes, Ray Vereker is quite the tomboy. She can break up a bar fight or participate in it herself with a smile on her face. Able to handle whatever her job throws at her, she is not the girly girl. However, it was with a very deft pen in which Foster was still able to endear such a character to me. I liked how Foster did not beat me over the head with the fact that Ray wasn't all that feminine. It helped that Eli noted all the innate feminine qualities in Ray that was obvious Ray didn't see herself. Foster also didn't constantly have Eli confused about Ray in terms of her not being 'typical.' If he constantly thought of her as too manish, it would have turned me off immediately.

Of course Eli would need to be a strong character himself to match up with Ray. That was a given. But his masculinity wasn't in question and it was nice to see that there was no competition in terms of "who's going to wear the pants in the relationship." I think sometimes, when authors reverse gender roles, the heroine is too concerned about the hero usurping her role such as driving the car, opening doors, paying the check, etc. There wasn't much of that in Unexpected.

However, it was the plot itself that made this book much more enjoyable. The plot about rescuing Eli's brother just too the reader up to half way of the book. The rest, was really the unexpected news of Ray ending up pregnant. I liked it. It certainly did its job of softening Ray's character and gave her more of a traditional feminine edge that was needed for a reader to see that she does indeed, need Eli in her life. I have to admit, that the plot wasn't all that exciting nor was it the best I've ever read. It did its job in balancing everything in terms of the characters. Totally character driven as a whole, it makes it a more traditional Foster in my point of view. Her books are more about the character connection and that's what makes me love them.

But what tied the whole package together for me was the very nice cover decisions made by the art department. Choosing the bright, almost neon pink, was a very nice touch. Ironic, yes. The pop art feel of the cut out picture of the woman and the stork pulls at the eye while serving its purpose of showcasing the author's name first, and then the yellow color of the title. Font choice was also very appropriate in accordance to the clip-art feel of the pictures.

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3 out of 5: Overall, Unexpected delivered on its name. I was pleasantly surprised at how I was softened in reading a plot I would normally not choose. Personally, the characters did not connect all that much with me emotionally and I read with a dispassion that showed I wasn't all that involved into the ending. The chemistry between the characters was all right, but it didn't sizzle for me and definitely didn't singe the pages during the sex scenes. I appreciated the uniqueness of the story and while it will not be a re-read for me, it's something I would recommend for a fun day at the beach.

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Unexpected

It's a Conversation, Not an Alien Invasion

2008-05-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

I've recently discovered the enjoyment of, and dispelled some of my doubts for, audiobooks.

I always held the belief that I would loose some fundamental enjoyment out of physically holding the book, feeling the crinkle of pages beneath my fingertips, and toting around the comforting weight of the written word in my bag. However, when I was finding myself sneaking in paragraphs here and there between red lights, I realized that audiobooks could rescue some of the reading time that I wasted while toiling in traffic.

I've realized that audiobooks work best when I've already read the book. Why? Well, because then I'm not waiting on baited breath for the next paragraph to be read. It also helped that I could pay more attention to the cars in front of me instead of the voice filling the interior of my vehicle. I've also found out the joy of rediscovering some things I might have missed when I'm reading myself. When I'm listening to the audiobook, unless I fast forward, I can't skip words as sometimes my eyes are prone to do while reading a particularly uninteresting part.

Biggest complaint? The narrator!

Case in point: I've recently ventured into the In Death series and since Eve Dallas has solved so many crimes, I thought that listening to some of her adventures would cut down on my reading time. I found a copy of Glory In Death in which I loved the narrator. Since Eve is not a typically feminine character, the narrator did a beautiful job of softening Eve with her voice. So while the book told me that Eve wasn't one to give into her appearance, weddings, and general "female stuff," the narrator's soft voice for Eve buffed out the sharp edges. I also liked how Roarke's Irish accent was just the barest hint and not an overwhelming feel like I was watching the Travel Channel.

Delighted with my first In Death audiobook, I was equally excited to find out that I could get them online through my local library for free. However, I was outraged to find out that the narrator changed and what I listened to was the older cassette tape version that someone changed into a MP3 file in which I downloaded. Saddened, I still gave this new narrator a try. Big mistake. First off, Eve was all rough and tumble in her voice. It was like listening to a pre-teen boy before his voice deepened. I mean, J.D. Robb's words were already telling me that Eve wasn't a girly girl, but now the narrator's voice was reaffirming that point as well. It was like beating me over the head again and again. Another thing I found annoying? Roarke was now really Irish. I got lost in the accent instead of the book. And that voice for Peabody! Geez Louise! Peabody now sounded like a bad cartoon character.

I've come to find out that male narrators are by far, superior to that of females. Why? Because when males do female voices, they just soften their voices. They don't make their voices higher. But for female narrators, their male voices lowered. I recently listened to a recording of Jayne Castle's Silver Master in which the hero's voice was done in such a cheesy woman-trying-to-imitate-man-voice that I stopped listening and ran out to buy the book instead.

But the problem with this genre is that men just don't narrate books plunked into the romance shelf. I did, however, find one I really liked. Ironically, I think if I read the book instead, I wouldn't have appreciated it. Lori Foster's Caught in the Act was recorded into an audiobook and the male narrator was a wonderful choice. (Though he's the only one I've listened to in the romance genre in which the narrator was a man). Good choice to pick a male narrator because the books is mostly told from Mick's point of view. But like I mentioned, the male narrator didn't raise his voice for when he narrated the female part. He simply softened his voice. That made all the difference.

For this point of audiobooks, I must concede to the point that perhaps, men are more enjoyable to the ears instead of women. In my (fairly limited) experience thus far, the women narrators who do male voices make the men sound like some sort of alien creature with that extremely fake deep voice. But for male narrators doing female voices, it's much better because they soften their voice and it just sounds more natural to this reader.

So while I'm not entirely convinced that audiobooks can give me the same experience as reading the actual book can, I'm liking the diversion for when I would normally yell at the gridlock traffic. Instead, I'm reading with my ears.

Time For Last Call?

2008-04-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

Anyone a fan of the genre will eventually come across, read, and/or love Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. And to be honest, even if you don't like the Dark Hunters, you can't deny the fact that Kenyon has created an empire and her hunters have reached cult status. Just take a peek at the section of her website where it showcases fans displaying their double bow and arrow tattoos and you'll see what I mean by cult status.

With that said, I'll admit that I didn't start the series with the best outlook. I always heard of the Dark Hunters through Amazon recommendations, but never picked it up because at that time, I was weary of paranormals. But then Ward converted me with those spectacular brothers and when I traveled for Thanksgiving, I was armed with the first four Brotherhood books and Fantasy Lover.

I knew from reading Kenyon's commentary on her website that when she wrote Fantasy Lover all those years ago, she went the "safe" route because at that time (and I'm paraphrasing here), vampires was pretty much an expletive or at least, a no-go area for romance.

So, I knew the premise of Julian being a god stuck in a book with his only purpose of being a sex slave. I wasn't expecting much. My return on investment wasn't much either. The plot was unique but very much romance-y in the sense that it reminded me of some of Harlequin's prince/mistress/virgin stories. The characters were sweet enough and there were enough cute scenes between them that made it endear to me. The quick quips, the novelty of Eros being a biker and all of Julian's relatives were interesting enough. The scene where Julian teaches Grace to eat spaghetti all proper and stuff and the fact that he can't drive without running into something was fun. But the whole premise of them not being able to have sex because of the curse was a transparent way to keep the sexual tension going. Still, it was a fun, quick read.

It was by accident that I picked up the Dark Hunter gift set that contained books 2-4. After I read Night Pleasures, I began to have my doubts about the story. Though Kyrian and Julian were friends in their "previous" life, the two stories were too close for me to consider it separate. Okay, I get it... they suffered a lot in their lives, death, betrayal, etc. All right, drive home the point that they're weary of love and all that...It was too obvious that Kenyon was just doing all that torture stuff to wring out emotions for her characters. And so, I put the books down.

But I had that set. I still had Night Embrace, Dance with the Devil, and various out of sequence Dark Hunters that I had already received free from BookMooch. I couldn't just waste those books. When I had nothing else to read, I picked up Night Embrace with a weary hand. Okay, I enjoyed Sunshine and Talon (though the thought of her name first made me cringe). Her quirky disposition and the whole deal with Talon's affection for Pez was too cute to pass up. I was back on board with the Dark Hunters again. Though I was apprehensive about who many different solutions Kenyon could come up with to somehow unite and give longevity to her heroes and heroines.

Then came Zarek. No longer was the heroine a human who was unaware of the Dark Hunter world, but Astrid, who knew all about Zarek and was sent in to judge him. I also got my first taste of a were, Sasha. Even though the story of Zarek was very much like the previous hunters, with all that betrayal, hurt, and anger, there's something really hard to resist a story like Zarek's. The poor young boy who was beaten and now appears to be a monster but actually does good for his neighbors in secret? Who can refuse?

And on and on the Dark Hunters came and went.

I won't say that I enjoyed them all. In fact, I really didn't like the first four all that much. They had their high points in terms of some quirky dialogue and situations, but the books as a whole didn't do much to truly capture me as a reader.

There were some that got my attention. The story of Wulf and Cassandra did its job at pulling my heart. I mean, the story of the Dark Hunter pairing with the enemy? Not only that but she was destined to die soon. Man, that killed me. The scene with them making memories for their unborn child and Cassandra constantly writing letters to the baby really did a number on me. Who can help but shed a few tears for that?

I got to Night Play with Vane and Bride and now...I felt it was romance first, action plot second. (I'll come back to that point later). It was the "chubby/not so chubby girl who gets the handsome guy" story told in a paranormal setting. I for one, cannot resist such an underdog story. Pardon the pun. The sweetness of Vane learning to date a human, his instinctual need to be near Bride, and all the sweet things he does for her melted my heart. Throw in animals, which always makes me like the story, and the funny situation of Bride's father being the neuter king...well, I loved that.

Same with Wren and Maggie in Unleash the Night. The loner story with the younger crowd, that was original. Seeing Wren as practically a baby, since he hasn't been around for centuries and Maggie being a co-ed, was a fresh view. Plus, who can forget the big surprise when Wren walks into the room, sees a tiger, rushes it yelling, "Dad, how could you eat my girlfriend? She's all I've ever had!" and see Maggie's eyes staring back at him instead? I didn't see that happening. And the fact that the mating mark never appeared until the end with a little help was a new take on things. I loved reading Wren as the outcast and the story of him falling in love with Maggie.

But then, few books go by...things kinda went south.

Kenyon has without a doubt hit cult status. The books now have become more about plot than about her main pair and the romance between them. Now, I understand that once in a while, in a series this large, it's necessary. But recently, as I've been catching up on the Hunters, it's become way too much. With Dark Side of the Moon, the Dream Hunters parallel series, etc...it's obvious everything is becoming a setup for Acheron's book. Not that I'm not totally looking forward to it myself. But come on.

After all these books, we sometimes see Ash in action, helping the hunters in need, his obvious devotion to them, and his equally obvious hatred for Artemis. But how many times do I have to read interludes that have Ash stuck with Artemis needing her blood and only having sex? Frankly, I'm quite over it. I'm getting sick of reading the love/hate thing they have going on, and only the recent disclosure of Kat's parentage did it finally revive some Acheron interest for me. But geez, how much setup does Kenyon need? It's too much of a marketing scheme to make Ash's book a big hit. And coming in at around 1200 pages, (rumored online), no doubt it will hit the best sellers list. Just like the recent Dream Hunters, though they have proven to be flops.

Some readers out there, having been wondering if it's time to throw in the towel. I say, Yes! Hit us with Ash's book, close the series. Go out with a bang (hopefully). But we all know that won't be true. We'll see the Nick/Acheron thing come to a head, and some have suspected that Nick will be the next Ash.

In truth, the only thing I'm looking forward to in Ash's book is to see who the heroine is. And how that relationship will work out. Really, the Acheron/Artemis thing is too entwined that if Kenyon doesn't do a good job with Ash's heroine, I can predict, everything will fail. The female in question will need to be strong with a certain vulnerability to appeal.

In addition, she has to be a hell of a heroine to match up with Ash. And in doing so, will bring on the wrath of Artemis. Really, who doesn't hate Artemis? Even with Kenyon trying to give her a softer side once in a while, with her secretly wishing for Ash to love her like he once did, the commentary offered by Kat on her mother, etc...it doesn't even make Artemis one of those "love to hate" characters. I simply just hate her. And Kenyon, trying to make Ash's relationship with Artemis so twisted has made everything quite the greek tragedy. Pun intended.

I have to say, reading Kenyon is tiring at times. A critic praises her writing as "ironic" but it's not. It's sarcastic. I like sarcasm. But not in every single character. I think that pretty much all of Kenyon's characters, especially the recent ones are so freakin' sarcastic. An ironic tone of writing would be much better. But no, it's the characters who are insanely droll and dry. I thought it was refreshing in the first few books, but then the majority of characters possessed such a wit. I'm fine with seeing Ash's droll humor from book to book, but come on...who can forget the back and forth of Ravyn and Susan and the constant parry of Sin and Kat. Give me a break. Give me some actual humor without that razor edge. Show me, Kenyon, that you're able to write differently.

The problem, even though I myself love a good sarcastic comeback? It feels like her heroes and heroines have now become interchangeable. There's no distinguishing marks on the stories since they have now moved from romance first, action second, to action and doing its job of setting up Acheron's book first, and romance if there's room.

Which books possessed less sarcasm? Well, they turned out to be my favorites. The ones that have secondary characters with the sarcastic remarks and only a few peppered in for the main characters seem to be the ones I favor. Zarek and Astrid, were a good read with only Sasha's witty comments to provide the punch. With Bride and Vane, it was Fury who did the remarking. Like all the neutering comments and his funny antics of going to "rack" Vane in "typical dog fashion." But Kenyon has now seemed to move into an overload of sarcasm. Her main characters, the secondaries, and the villians. Everyone has some sort of comeback armed and constantly ready. Give me a rest here and there, please. Really, Kenyon, it's supposed to be romance first. It's like Kenyon has forgotten her roots in favor of setups and subsequently, book sales.

The Dark Hunters have gifted me a fabulous share of fun reads, a few tears, and some laugh out loud moments, but they've waned. And appears to be on a downward spiral. Now, all I want is to see how Acheron finds his heroine. That's it. Seriously, it's time to call a quits. Just like how I think it's past time for Eve Dallas to hand over her badge, but that's another post for another time...

Formulas, Both Good and Bad

2008-03-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

After reading several hundred of these books that are labeled romance in just under six months or so, I've come to realize (as every avid reader will inevitably see as well) the formula of authors. And yes, of course I realize that every author has their own formula that applies to the way they write their characters, the writing style, and the timing of their plot. It's unavoidable. Not everyone can be totally original in every book, especially in a genre like this. On the other hand, that so called formula is what makes that author recognizable.

But what I've come to realize is that the authors who have their formula but are able to disguise it to appear new in each successive book are the ones that are the ones who earn a higher place in my proverbial, and literal, bookshelf.

It's such a delicate balance to play. When the formula is way too apparent, as a reader, it totally turns me off. I've actually turned down a lot of authors that I've come across simply because I knew how the book would turn out even when I hadn't read it yet. At the same time, when the author tries something new and totally turns a 180 with a new formula, it's hard to get into a new groove and can sometimes feel like you're reading a foreign author instead of one that you've known for years. Like I mentioned, the authors who are able to disguise their formula are the ones to keep an eye out for.

Let's examine some of the formulas...

First up: Sabrina Jeffries. Jeffries was really my first romance. Not the literal first, but One Night with a Prince was my first self-chosen one. The literal first romance was one that was borrowed and read as a joke. But Jeffries' last Royal Brotherhood book was the one that I choose for myself. With Jeffries, it's a standard formula. Her hero and heroine meet and usually there's a bit of deception going on on behalf of the hero. The deception seems to be standard Jeffries and it's not a totally original formula. She pretty much sticks to a classic form: Meet, Attraction, Deception, Sex, Climax/Downfall, Resolve. From what I've read of Jeffries, and I've read them all, it feels that she doesn't stray from her formula. Now, what makes some of her books better than others simply lie in character developments, plot strength, and time constraints as a writer. With Jeffries, after you're familiar with the formula, you can actually just eyeball the pages that have past and gauge how close you are to the big blowup of the plot and the climax of the story.

Another author who sticks with a formula religiously is Jill Shalvis. She is strictly a whodunit author. There is no deviation from the formula. At first, I enjoyed Get a Clue and then Strong and Sexy, but by the time I got to the end of my third Shalvis novel, I knew that I would never get anything but a story straight out of the game Clue sprinkled with some mediocre sex that was fitted between the pages of the bad guy chasing the hero/heroine with a gun, a knife, or dead bodies popping up unexpectedly. Though the settings change, the overall trend of the plot does not. Somehow, I always end up feeling that the characters are sacrificed in order to develop the mystery and for me, the characters of a romance must be the most important. Even a lousy plot is easily rescued by strong characters, but a plot with no character development

will never make the reader care about the outcome and therefore the plot becomes a moot point. Shalvis is a 'stop reading' author for me now. The formula is just too predictable.

One author who comes to mind when I think of formula is Deirdre Martin. I had high hopes for her books initially. I was looking for something fun and nothing too adrenaline rush in terms of action, nor was I in the mood for real emotional pull, so I thought Martin would be a fast and satisfactory read. My first Martin was fine. I thought the plot was mediocre and the idea was okay but the characters had their funny moments and so I decided to give her another shot. It only got worse. I really did want to like the books, and some had their potential but it got too redundant. Her characters meet, attract, date, encounter a problem, break up, mope, and get back together.

An author who changed their formula recently is that of Lisa Kleypas with her venture into contemporary fiction with Sugar Daddy. I couldn't finish the book. And that's really saying something. Of all the hundreds I've read, there's only been maybe three at the most where I just stopped reading all together. While I can admire (but not appreciate) Kleypas' trying a new formula, I cannot say that it worked. She introduced her heroine and one hero that we read for a large chunk of the novel. However, it's at least half-way if not more into the novel when we finally meet the second hero who ultimately gets the girl. Switching from one hero to the other is too hard when the readers are way too engaged with the first hero that we've read. It's especially hard to switch to the 'other guy' when readers see the characters as children or young adults who have experienced a large part of their growth together. I really was appalled at the outcome of the pairing.

Off the top of my head, two authors who stick to a certain formula but are able to disguise it are J.R. Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon. With Ward, her plots are continual and I think that makes all the difference. The stories are so intertwined that some secondary characters will appear in books and not be resolved until future books. Case in point: the character of John Matthew. We see the introduction of John Matthew in the second book, Rhage and Mary's story in Lover Eternal. To this day, John Matthew's story is still going on and Ward will be releasing the sixth book come June. Even with that, it's not even John Matthew's novel yet. His story is really a constant thread in the Brotherhood fabric. In Ward's writing, though there is a formula, it's harder to really guess as a reader when events will come. For example, with some authors, readers can gauge when bad news is about to occur. Not so with Ward. It can happen for the main hero/heroine at anytime and for secondary characters, it's true as well. As readers of Ward can attest, those secondary characters can hit just as hard as the main couple of the book. For instance, in Z and Bella's Lover Awakened, the shock of Wellsie and Tohr really caught me off guard. With Ward, it's not easy to point out a formula, which makes for a good book and a happy reader.

In the case of Kenyon, she has an ongoing plot but I wouldn't categorize it as extensively as Ward's. With Kenyon, it's more of the feeling of an ongoing mystery. The mystery of Acheron and other various characters. But still, while I wasn't an immediate Kenyon fan, I have grown to be a loyal one and I'm glad that I stuck with the books. Kenyon is now one of my favorites, right after Ward. Kenyon has a formula, though it's not as easily categorized as other authors I've mentioned. For me personally, I feel that with each kind of Dark Hunter, whether it's the originals, the Weres, or the Dreams, they each have their own timeline formula within Kenyon's subcategories of DH's. In some sense, it was smart of Kenyon to sprinkle a Were-Hunter in the midst of reading normal Dark Hunters. Right when I got into the groove of reading Dark Hunters, she throws in that first Were-Hunter and it shakes up the formula. Quite inventive to shroud her formula so that readers don't get bored.

Overall, while I've come to see many (if not all) of the formulas from authors I've read, I think that characters really make or break the book, formula be damned. Though Jeffries follows a formula I've come to expect, she has characters who can bring out the best in her stories. But someone like Shalvis where I feel that the characters are chopped down in favor of the formulaic plot...well, that's no good for this reader. But the authors who keep me guessing...those are easily everyone's favorites. It's no wonder why legions of loyal readers flock to Kenyon or Ward.

By the way, I saw my first Kenyon Dark Hunter license plate the other day on the 5 freeway. A plate that read DRKHNTR on a truck. I'm pretty sure that was what it read. Either way, no matter the spelling, I knew with almost complete certainty that it was a Dark Hunter salute.

Colored Duct Tape to the Rescue!

2008-03-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

By far, the one book (or set of them) that has successfully kept me away as a reader solely because of the cover are the Kresley Cole ones. Personally, while I enjoy the occasional vampire romp while I'm bored of reading the action, mysteries, or just plain ol' contemporary romance, I do not however enjoy the ones where the covers are like the Kresley Cole ones.

Or specifically, the cover of A Hunger Like No Other. Way too vampirey with the claw-like nails (on both the male and female), the obvious tilting of the head to symbolize the drawing of blood (more on why that is truly an inappropriate cover for the story), the pale pale white of the female, the dark dark looks of the male, and the blood red half corset-like thing that the female wears. I shudder to think of it even in my mind. There are a few covers in which I not want to be caught dead reading, and sorry to say, this is one of them.

Being such a loyal J.R. Ward Brotherhood reader, sufficient to say that Amazon kept on throwing the Cole novels at me. And I resisted all this time based purely on the fact that the cover freaked me out. Enough to give me bad mental images of the characters to the point where I feared that even if I could get over the picture, my personal image of the hero/heroine would be ruined forever. But Amazon was relentless. In a matter of speaking, of course. I, on the other hand, was desperate to read some new paranormal as I am now seemingly in the mood for some good vampire novels. And when Borders came out with their expected 25% off coupon, I decided it was time to see what all the rage was about.

But before I made the trip to the local Borders, I needed a detour at Michael's first: The all things craft store. Needless to say that with the weekly 40% off coupon, I choose Michael's instead of the nearby Wal-Mart or the hardware store. I went straight to hunt for some colored duct tape. It was paramount that if I were going to read that novel with the cringe-worthy cover that was bound to provide bad mental imagery, I needed to cover it up fast. And I did. White was the choice for me.

Perfect.

Now that I was safely covered, though the smaller depiction still showed on the spine, I felt that I had sufficiently covered enough to give me a literal blank slate. I cracked the spine in hopes that I hadn't just wasted the cost of the tape, the gas it took running around, plus the price of the book. Fresh from rereading my favorite Ward, Lover Eternal, I cannot deny that I do hold Ward as the yardstick in which I measure all vampire fiction that is not sitting in the sub-genre of comedy. From the get go it was obvious that Cole's books held a darker edge with mystery and action that was reminiscent of Ward. So, I forged on...

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Captured by vampires, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae, is continuously tortured. In the midst of his prisoned hell, he scents his mate on the surface and willingly injures himself and risks his life to make it to her. Emmaline Troy is unusual. Part vampire, part Valkyrie she doesn't fit into one neat category but was still raised by her Valkyrie aunts. Now alone in the streets of Paris doing some soul-searching, young Emma is frightened to find that she's suddenly being chased by an incredibly handsome man who obviously thinks she's entirely vampire. More disturbing is his insistence that he stick by her side.

Lachlain cannot let Emma leave. It's taken him centuries to finally find his mate and now he finds that not only is she a vampire but she's also very young for being a creature of the night. Around only seventy, no wonder he could never find his mate. She hadn't even been born yet all the time he's been searching. No matter, he needs to take her to his native Scotland to his home. He needs to make sure that they're home in time for the full moon where it's imperative that he asserts the fact that she's his mate. But Emma's already scared enough and Lachlain placates her by striking a deal with her. She's to accompany him home and once they're there, she's free. But what Lachlain doesn't add is that he won't be letting her go.

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I must admit that I was a bit shocked to see Cole go this route for an introductory novel. Granted, she was a part of an anthology that truly introduced the series, but A Hunger Like No Other is really the first full book. What routing am I talking about? The 'mates' story. In part, I am both surprised and not at the same time. Surprised because the mates story angle is the entire driving force for the story. It's what gets the hero/heroine together and keeps them together. It is what excuses Lachlain's brash behavior in the beginning and all the misunderstandings that perpetuate between the two leads. On the other hand, I'm not surprised because it's such a popular trend these days in paranormal. It's vogue. And I can see how it works in this genre. I can very much see how it's appealing to this reading demographic.

Good thing I like it. I wasn't sold at first because it is quite abrupt in the ways which Lachlain seizes control of the situation. Though when you suspend disbelief and put yourself into his character, it's not that much of a stretch to see things his way. He's been captured, tortured, and everything in between by a vicious vampire. So when he finds out that his mate is one of them, it's not a pretty picture. Combine it with the misunderstanding that Lachlain believes that Emma is full vampire, the story rolls on from there. Where Lachlain dreamed for centuries of a pretty buxom mate with red hair and everything that he prized as a Scottish lad, he instead gets a fey blonde who's devastingly attractive with odd little pointy ears and a perchance for sleeping under the bed or on the floor instead of on the actual bed.

Readers who prefer a strong female might be turned off by the character of Emma. But I was not because it's obvious that would be her growth in the length of the novel. Emma's labeled as "Emma the Timid." I found it endearing that she would find her backbone in the novel. It's also fitting because she is so young and the misfit in her family. Those who like strong, strong females will prefer Cole's No Rest for the Wicked while my personal tastes gravitated my appreciation more towards Emma than Kaderin. Emma's a sweet character. Frightened and confused, it's easy to feel for her especially in the beginning when Lachlain hasn't quite figured out the truth about her lineage yet. However, Emma does show her hand throughout the book. She's not always the timid mouse and she can pack a punch, both the literal and emotional type to Lachlain.

Though readers (and me included) will no doubt be sometimes annoyed and impatient for the misunderstandings to resolve, it doesn't take long and I appreciated how the truth was not revealed in one fell swop. Lachlain finds out different facts about Emma at different times, slowly, piece by piece. And the reverse is true too. The evolution of Lachlain and Emma's relationship is nicely done. The plot is much revolved around the relationship than the action plot, but it's enjoyable and understandable way to open the series.

Cole has spun some new 'facts' into the paranormal genre and I've enjoyed her approach to creating her own niche. In my opinion, her series isn't as intricate or rich as Ward's Brotherhood, but Cole doesn't fall off the scales either. Her twist on the Valkyrie and their huntress attitudes are interesting. The women are strong, fearless, and attracted to all things sparkly. Cole also twisted the age old werewolf into where the characters project a separate 'beast' persona instead of turning all furry. I must commend Cole for giving it a new spin.

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Going back to the point where I mentioned that the cover is not only overly paranormal and vampire-esque, but inappropriate according to plot: The cover shows the male obviously ready to bite. BUT Lachlain is not a vampire. Indeed, in the beginning he is quite thoroughly repulsed at Emma's need for nourishment in the form of blood. Even if I didn't personally dislike the cover, the fact that it the cover is not in sync with the plot would make me adverse to it anyways.

Note: Want a good cover to a vampire book: Check out Ward's

Lover Awakened. Though my Brotherhood heart lies with Rhage, Z's cover with the silver color scheme and the model(s) chosen makes it the best cover thus far (and probably ever). Unbelievably sexy but still very much paranormal, that is indeed a cover that matches both in tone and feel.

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Overall, I enjoyed Cole's first book. I've continued with the series reading No Rest for the Wicked but still enjoyed Lachlain and Emma's story better. I felt the balance between Lachlain and Emma was nicely done. Though I was weary of the strong 'mates' point and Lachlain's behavior, I soon forgave that and just enjoyed the story for itself. There are some very sweet parts to the story which I enjoyed. One of my favorite one liners is when Emma finally finds out that she is indeed Lachlain's mate and she says, (in a voice that I would imagine to be small and filled with a little disbelief) "Not Australian for buddy?" A cute echo to a previous line in the book, A Hunger Like No Other is a worthwhile read.

In the mood for some alpha maleness and a Scottish burr? Go check it out.

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4.5 out of 5: Entertaining read. Relationship had the entire length of novel to develop and mature with the appropriate pitfalls in between. The climax and the action part of the plot was a bit too predictable and I felt that it could have been handled better. But still a good read. Keeper copy. Reread. But, cover with duct tape first if you're in any way turned off by the cover. Not to mention the fact that it doesn't even fit the characters.

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A Hunger Like No Other

Campy Vamp

2008-03-04T00:12:00.000-08:00

A contemporary about a vampire who develops amnesia that has a vengeful brother out for blood surely can't be a good read, right?

Wrong. Well, at least for me.

Fangs for the Memories is the beginning novel that introduces Love's Young Brothers' series, we meet Rhys Young, the oldest and therefore the one who bears the weight of guilt upon his shoulders. Rhys was turned into a vampire under duress by Lilah, a vampire who had her eyes on Rhys. She coerces him into crossing over or else she would kill his baby sister, the beloved of the family. After he agreed Rhys is brokenhearted to find that Lilah killed her anyways. In the only way he knew possible, he went to Lilah, draining her again and again in hopes of inflicting some of the tremendous pain she had done on his family. Only problem was that one of the Young brothers, Christian, was under Lilah's spell and believed to be in love with her, and vice versa.

Now centuries later Lilah is dead and Christian is convinced that Rhys drove her to her suicide. Out for revenge, Christian wants to exact the same pain on Rhys. He sets out to kill his older brother.

Jane Harrison is new to New York City. Selling everything, she picked up and left her hometown of Maine in hopes of starting new in the exciting city. Only she finds out that the city might not be so exciting after all. More like dangerous. Almost attacked on her first night alone in the city, thank god for the dark handsome stranger who came to her aid.

Rhys can't fathom why he would actually go and save this mortal. He only knew that he could sense real kindness and a purity that was forgotten to him. Driven by emotion, Rhys broke his own rule and got involved with a human. There's something about Jane that intrigues him. But there's no time to really explore that because she's human and he's not. End of story.

In that same night, Jane ends up saving Rhys as Christian attacks. Surprised by the female, Christian allows his other brother, Sebastian, to take Rhys and Jane home. Christian plans to retaliate in the way that would hurt Rhys the most: By hurting Jane.

When Rhys wakes up the next morning, he can't remember a thing. Was he drunk? He certainly felt like it. Must have been a wild night with his brothers. And who was this woman next to him? Well, whoever she is, he likes what he sees and hopes that he can keep her, never mind the fact that he's betrothed to some American that his parents arranged.

Jane can't remember a thing. But she does remember Rhys saving her life the night before. And when did he suddenly develop a British accent? And why in the world does he think he's a viscount?

Rhys wakes up with amnesia and thinks he's back in time before his crossing over. And he also believes that Jane is the American that's supposed to be his betrothed. Jane, under Sebastian's plea, plays along so that she doesn't disturb Rhys while waiting for their family doctor to arrive.

Sebastian plays the matchmaker. For the first time since they became vampires, his big brother isn't moping around. He's even wearing jeans and a color other than black. And the smile! When had Rhys ever smiled? All Sebastian knows is that Rhys' mind has somehow transported itself back in time so that Rhys can feel that he can have Jane as a human and not a vampire.

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I really enjoyed this book. Time after time, I still like reading it. The language is snappy with the conversation moving along. Rhys, in his viscount mind, is very sweet to Jane, wanting to prove that he wants to make her happy for the rest of their lives. Jane, in turn, is very likable as well. She's the 'plain Jane' character but Rhys loves her. Though Jane is guilty about the fact that everything is fake, she can't help but want to believe Rhys' convictions.

The characters are fun and Rhys and Jane are well matched in personality. Not a serious vampire story, it's very much a campy novel. But still, I think it's a sweet and sometimes hilarious read when in the mood for light paranormal.

At first I thought it would be hard to get over the historical in contemporary paranormal time setting, but it wasn't hard to get into the story. The back and forth of Jane and Rhys' emotions were well written as long as readers are in the mood to read a fun book and are not looking for action, like J.R. Ward's books.

All in all, I think Fangs for the Memories is the best of the Young brothers, but they all still have their special elements. Still, Rhys and Jane are my 'it' Young couple.

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4.5 out of 5: Fun read. Campy vampire story. Good pacing and characters. Just an overall sweet read.

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Fangs for the Memories

The Stork has a Sense of Humor

2008-03-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

Personally, and this is really just a personal taste, I generally don't gravitate towards pregnancy stories. Though the stories always end up with the hero and heroine totally in love and into the idea of their family, I'm sometimes hesitant to read the story in which the baby is used as a plot device to move the two characters together. And I've given them a chance. I really have. I've read different scenarios too. I've read about the accidental pregnancy, the one where the heroine strictly wants the baby and doesn't let the hero know, and the 'other man's baby' angle. But for some reason, I've never really warmed up to any of them, despite reading familiar authors. I always get the feeling that the baby was used too much as the pushing factor for the couple to get together. And I never really like it.

With that said, let's talk about Erin McCarthy's The Pregnancy Test.

Having discovered McCarthy early on when I forged into this genre, I had read everything of hers except for The Pregnancy Test for reasons I've explained above. I was content to never pick it up. The story didn't even seem all that interesting. But I was once again in that predicament in which I had nothing to read and nothing on the shelves of Borders seemed interesting. So, I decided to go with a fallback author (McCarthy) and bought the one that I hadn't read yet. Wary, I didn't expect much. Well, I certainly didn't expect to laugh out loud.

Mandy Keeling is not having the best time. She's recently unemployed, lost the guy she was with, and found out that she's pregnant. She needs a job. Fast. With the baby on the way, she needs the health insurance. On the way to the interview, she gets morning sickness in the elevator and almost throws up on the shoes of a guy. And as fate would have it, the guy ends up to be her new boss. Damien Sharpton isn't nicknamed 'Demon' for no reason. Prickly and demanding, the guy has no life but his business. He likes it that way. He's faced his own horrors in the past and now has no drive to focus on anything but his work. Having Mandy has his assistant is an interesting set up. He never sees her, but she's so good at the job, she's able to anticipate his every need. If only she wasn't avoiding him like the plague. When Damien tells Mandy that she's required to accompany him on a trip, sparks fly...

The plot is mediocre. Really nothing special. The 'demons' of Damien's past is a bit soap opera-y for me, but I can suspend my disbelief and understand the character's pain and lingering anger. Mandy's story is all about the pregnancy. Nothing else.

But what really made this book stand out for me was the humor. Damien, who's the surly, no joking type of hero ended up to have hilarious moments. When he reads Mandy's Everything Guide to Pregnancy and discovers the chapter on sexual intercourse made me laugh out loud. His horror at learning that oral sex could lead to an embolism for the baby, the fact that people have the fear of the baby 'watching', his competitive bingo skills, and everything in between really was laugh out loud. I was surprised how McCarthy was able to write the super serious guy into one that was so caring you just want to hug him. I liked how he was really into the baby: learning the developing stages, showing up for the sonogram, and reading every baby book he can get his hands on. The fact that Damien was so involved with the baby was a nice read. Not once was he feeling, "This isn't my baby and therefore not my problem." In fact, he got depressed when thinking that the baby wasn't his and him wanting to be able to refer to Mandy's baby as their baby.

All in all, the book is peppered with funny conversations. The characters and plot might not be the strongest out there, but this is the fun kind of book to bring to the beach or to lay out under the warm sun for a tan where you just want some light reading and a couple of chuckles, nothing too serious or action gripping.

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3.5 out of 5: Funny moments. Plot and characters not really strong but I like the way the hero was written. Straight forward story, not too many dimensions to the characters, but a fun read if you're looking for some light laughs.

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The Pregnancy Test

Lost In Time: Historical or Contemporary?

2008-02-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

Reading all the praises for Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books on Amazon from those who claimed that reading the genre would not be complete without her novels, I was excited to try for myself. And I was looking forward to read what was considered to be the 'leading voice.' But what I found was both enjoyable and disappointing.

While I know it's impossible to like every single book written by an author, I've yet come to one where I'm split halfway between liking her and hating her. Usually with authors that I continually read from, even the books that I don't like, there's an obvious reason for my dislike. Perhaps it's evident that the author didn't have sufficient time to plot out their book before their deadline. Or maybe it's because something about the characters just didn't appeal to my personal tastes.

But that is not the case for Phillips. It's not the characters. It's not an obvious time rush. It's just the book itself.

While they are not all winners, not even close, the one that surprised me the most was Kiss An Angel. I remember reading it, about forty or so pages in, and flipping the cover around to check that I was actually reading the correct genre. I had to look for the 'contemporary' label on the spine of the book just to make sure. I was so surprised. And not in a good way at first.

Kiss An Angel has a plot straight out of a historical novel. Daisy Devreaux, the rich socialite, is arranged into a marriage by her father. She's never laid eyes on this guy and doesn't even know his name when she recites her vows. Alex Markov doesn't want Daisy. He doesn't want a wife. But he agrees for personal reasons and makes it clear to Daisy that they will stay married only long enough to satisfy her father and after that, they part ways. No engaging of feelings, just a business agreement, through and through.

As if that plot isn't taken right out of a Regency novel, did I mention that Alex comes from a circus family and has taken Daisy to live, work, and breathe in the Ringling Bros-esque environment? Let's not forget the fact that Daisy's afraid of animals...

I thought that this book was a joke. A total waste of paper. And not to mention, a waste of my time. My only consolation was that I didn't actually purchase it for retail price. But even after reading hundred pages, I thought that the library bookstore overcharged me by pricing the book at fifty cents.

Good thing I was stuck with a large block of time in which I had nothing to do but read the only book I had on hand. Good thing I stuck it out. Once I got over the feeling that I was reading a historical novel where the characters just so happened to have contemporary jargon and wore jeans and t-shirts instead of corsets and knee-high riding boots, I did find that there was something unique, if not misplaced, in this book.

There are the typical misunderstandings in the book. Alex has pulled Daisy along, letting her think that the circus is actually his profession and life. He has brought her along because he has his own agenda, but also because he knows that the rich girl won't stand for doing manual labor. And he's right. At first. Daisy balks at having to wake up at the crack of dawn to tend to the animals and living on the constant go. Alex is relentless. He wants Daisy to work and he doesn't take no for an answer.

It's terribly hard not to feel for Daisy's character. She's vulnerable and definitely not the spoiled rich girl that Alex thinks she is. When Daisy realizes that she has no choice but to accept her surroundings, she constantly tries and fails. She tries harder and fails greater. Phillips definitely pulls heart strings when Daisy takes hit after hit from Alex, the animals, and the other circus members. But at the same time, the reader doesn't hate Alex. It's apparent from the beginning that Alex is the type of hero that has a hard exterior. It's in the quiet moments between him and Daisy, when they're not fighting, that readers see his tender side. When Daisy is injured time after time, it's Alex who comes to her aid, though he does so reluctantly mostly. But there are plenty of behind the scenes moments where Alex shows that even though he's trying to maintain his distance from Daisy, he can't help but slowly admire her inner strength. The circumstances in which the reader comes to feel for both characters must be read to fully understand. Sometimes I think Phillips went a bit overboard with gathering sympathy, but I've come to realize that it's an almost standard with her writing.

It's all in the characters. Especially towards the end, when the final blow is given, the way that the characters are in a sense, reversed, just breaks the reader's heart. I for one, no matter how many times I've picked it up, cannot help but be immensely moved by Daisy and Alex.

The equal growth of the characters and their very slow evolution of trust and admiration of each other made for a good read. Once I got over the feeling that it was more suited as a historical novel, I found that the little things really did make this one of my top Phillips.

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3.5 out of 5: A general feeling of a plot anachronism, but if that can be overlooked in the eyes of the reader, there is genuine feelings to be experienced with the characters. The larger plot itself is not that fantastic. It's the characters that move the story instead. Keeper copy. Reread when in the mood for emotional character trials.

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Kiss An Angel

Genre: Defined

2008-02-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Those who are familiar with the paranormal sub-genre probably have heard, if not already read, J.R. Ward. Ward has undoubtedly defined the genre and in doing so, has gained a legion of loyal readers. Not only has she, in my opinion, defined the genre but she is the leading voice in this new age of vampire fiction. Move over Rice, Ward has taken over and her brothers are marking their new turf.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The series is something to be experienced for yourself and I will not go in depth with every book simply because there's so much to say, so little room, and the brothers' books should not be spoiled. They should be read by anyone interested in the romance genre. But bigger than that, they're not simply romance. They're action with interconnected plots and characters that will feel so real that they eventually become not just characters, but beings in their own right.

I came across a review once for a Ward book and the critic said that you know you're in trouble when the book contains its own dictionary. Laughingly, I would have to agree, but probably not in the way the critic intended. The series itself is so complex that even if I were to reread the series multiple times, there would be something new to pick up each and every time. Not only is there a dictionary of defined terminology, but there is a separate culture that becomes deeper with each novel.

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When the sun sets on the streets of Caldwell, New York, there is an endless war that wages between the vampires and those who seek their extinction. Arising from centuries of specific breeding, honing the finer skills of the race, the Brotherhood signifies the qualities that are desirable in warriors. Armed with quick reflexes, superior physical strength, and intelligence

that foils their enemies, the Black Dagger Brotherhood are the defenders of their race.

While they live amongst humans, they are a separate species all together. As long as humans keep to themselves, the war that the brothers fight do not concern them. But once in a while, a human crosses into the world it's every man for themselves. The Brotherhood will let nothing and no one get in their way as they defend their community and their loved ones.

Let's take a brief look at the general Brotherhood members. (Fans will recognize the fact that there are more to the list, but for the sake of simplicity, let's keep it to the 'original' brothers and the books that are published so far).

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Wrath: The Blind King. Wrath is the reluctant king of the race and the last pure blooded vampire alive. He has no intentions of taking the throne but the death of a brother prompts Wrath to carry out a last request. Darius had pleaded Wrath to aid in his half-vampire daughter's transition before his death. Half blooded vampires are rare and Darius knows that once his daughter hits the age of twenty-five, her chances of surviving the change will greatly increase with Wrath's pure blood. Though Wrath initially refuses the plea, once Darius is dead, he has no choice but to look after Beth himself. From there readers are introduced into the world and the end of the book sees Wrath ascend to the throne and really bring the brothers together. The Black Dagger Brotherhood will ultimately live together, bonded in a way that they hadn't before. And so the journey begins...

Rhage: The legend among the race. Known for his voracious appetites for women, his story is passed down from fathers to sons at the right time. The one that's nicknamed Hollywood, the blindingly handsome brother who knows how to party is saddled with a vicious curse. Whenever his emotions are out of control, his beast emerges. A fearsome thing for anyone or anything to behold, Rhage worries constantly about hurting those around him. When a human enters into his world, it becomes a battleground for survival. Mary soothes him in a way that Rhage craves. And when the mighty fall, they fall hard. Rhage knows without a doubt that Mary's his destined mate. He bonds hard and quick with her but he knows that her entry into his world brings danger to her front door step. For Mary, there's nothing Rhage won't do to ensure her safety. But Mary's living on a ticking clock. Her days are numbered and while her world is indeed turned upside down by Rhage, she can't engage her heart. She knows there will be no time for them together. When Rhage is determined to keep her close for as long as they have, Mary must learn to trust him.

Zsadist: The scarred one. The one whose past is so dark he radiates blackness around him. Zsadist has never known softness, has never experienced a bit of relief in his constant personal hell. When Bella enters into his life and is in danger, Z does not know the reason why he can't seem to withdraw from her. But he won't because she's in danger. Though Bella eventually is saved, it's Z who is in need of rescuing. Bella will show him the joys of life that have been long missing in his life. The scars that he carry will be soothed by Bella. However, it's not an easy road. When Bella tries, Z will bite. But when Bella gives up, Zsadist finally realizes that Bella is the only one for him, his mate and his life.

Butch: The human. The only male human to live with the brothers, Butch has abandoned his life willingly to be surrounded by a new world. There is only one vampire for Butch. Marissa. Graceful and beautiful with a caring heart, Marissa represents everything that Butch can never begin to wish for. Marissa is his unattainable goal, his mirage. A great divide separates them. He's human. She's not. As the whole BDB plot begins to be more complex, Butch discovers that maybe he does belong into his new world. Maybe there is a place for him besides the brothers and ultimately, besides Marissa. Butch will discover that he's not just the poor kid who became a cop. His life is intertwined with that of the brotherhood. Finally, he's found his family.

Vishous: The one who is destined for a greater purpose within the race has accepted his destiny. He has nothing else besides the brothers and allows his fate to occur. But when he is injured and rescued by a special human, V suddenly wants something he can't have. He wants Jane. Jane is thrown into the world of the brothers, taken from her life because V senses something. Though V is gifted with the special ability to see into the future, he has lost it and cannot see anything. But when Jane appears, he cannot deny the fact that something must connect him to this human. When V must give up Jane, he cannot believe that his life will end up empty once again. As danger steps in and plays with Jane and her life, V will stop at nothing to see that she's safe.

Phury: The sacrificial one. The celibate. He is Zsasdist's twin who searched many long years for his lost brother. And when Z was found, Phury willingly shot off his own leg to rescue his brother. Phury is the one who has stepped into the background for Z. Even after Z found Bella, Phury cannot help but long for his twin's mate. But because of the happiness that Bella brought into Z's life, Phury once again sacrificed everything for his beloved brother. When Vishious is trapped with a sacred role for the race, Phury stands in his stead. Now Phury must take responsibility for seeing that their blood continues for generations to come. But when Cormia sees her fate, she wants Phury's love for himself.

Tohrment: The level-headed one. Tohr has found happiness, only to have destiny rob him of it. Given the precious gift of a mate whom he would have chosen with his heart even though it was arranged for them, he and Wellise have lived a life together. But one day, in one moment, his heart is taken away from him. Pitted in utter despair and grief, Thor disappears.

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So far, the books have been published up to V's with Phury's to be released June. There is so much to be revealed about the brothers with Ward brilliantly peeling layer after layer with each successive novel. While I don't think every book is a 5 out of 5, they each serve their purpose even if readers are inclined to favor one character over another. For example, while I like Butch, I think his story served a greater plot purpose. Butch and Marissa are not my favorite BDB couple, but Butch's story is integral in moving along the general Brotherhood story as a whole. Same with V's. As a general consensus, readers have found that V's story is left lacking. The relationship of him and Jane is not as developed as it could have been, space sacrificed to another smaller developing plots. However, V's book as a whole will push the Brotherhood story further, same as Butch. Every book not only tells the tale of a specific pair of hero/heroine, it also very clearly moves the entire overall brotherhood story forward. With each new novel, we find out new information about the brothers and about their world as a whole.

Ward's heroes are alpha males. All the way. Leather wearing, dagger and gun toting, hardcore rap listening, males. To read the brothers is to be drunk on a testosterone overload. Though each male has their own distinctive qualities, it's hard to not fall in love with every one of them. Every reader can find a favorite among these males and their females are equally engaging to read. Each heroine has her own strength and weakness that perfectly couples with that of her male.

Though it's obviously vampire fiction, these novels could very easily be read as action/romance instead. I can safely recommend that while it's definite romance, it can also appeal to a male audience. With insanely engaging characters, it's hard to say no to these brothers. Take my advice, read them and you'll be singing their praises as well. Don't believe me? Just pop on by Amazon and take a look at the multitude of high reviews. There's something to be said when each book has at least 160 reviews (some many more) and still the overall rating is at a high 4.5 out of 5. Haven't tried out the paranormal sub-genre, or perhaps you have and found it lacking? Go read the Black Dagger Brotherhood before you dismiss the genre. If the top rung of the ladder still doesn't do it for you, then you have sufficient reason to turn away.

Guaranteed: If you end up liking the brothers, you can't help but compare every other book in a similar vein to it. Ward has created not only a string of interconnected novels, it's a new world. Complete with language, customs, and rituals. The brothers are simply more than what can be crammed into a 400 plus paged novel.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood has set the bar for the genre. And it's high.

Daisy Pickings: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

2008-02-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

The last and final Wallflower book, Scandal in the Spring. A good way to wrap up the series, it's Lillian's younger sister, Daisy's turn for her happily ever after. As stated in previous novels, the Bowman sisters are in England to find titled husbands to match their American money. However, for Daisy, that husband doesn't turn out to be titled after all...

Daisy might not be the shyest wallflower, for that title goes to Evie, but she's the one who likes to keep to herself. She'd rather be in the company of the library and her novels instead of attending gatherings and balls. But she knows that she needs to find a husband, she's just not in a hurry. So when her father tells her that she has to marry his business partner, Matthew Swift, she remembers the gangly young man who occasionally had dinner with the family and quickly dismisses the idea.

Matthew is hiding a secret. A family secret that will surely ruin all that he worked for. So after the initial shock of finding out that Daisy's father wants him to marry his youngest daughter wears off, Matthew tries his best to find a replacement. It's not that Matthew doesn't want Daisy, no, that's certainly not the case. Matthew's spent years longing for the quiet Bowman daughter and if his circumstances were changed, he'd jumped at the opportunity to make Daisy his. But the secret will undoubtedly rip them apart. For Daisy, he lets go of the idea of being together and puts a wall between them, hoping to find another man for Daisy during his stay at Westcliff's home.

Slowly, one clue after another, it becomes apparent to Daisy that perhaps Matthew isn't the ogre that she once thought. Even more so, it seems that he might be in love with her. So why on earth is he pushing her towards another man but glowering at them at the same time? Daisy takes things into her own hands. She's got to seduce Matthew Swift into confessing his feelings. Once they finally get together, Matthew will do all that he can to hold onto her and not let his secret tear them apart.

I felt that Daisy and Matthew's story was a great way to bookend the series. It was sweet and funny with a bit of a plot twist towards the end. The dynamics between the hero/heroine was definite chemistry especially since Daisy has no idea Matthew feels anything towards her in the beginning. They have a lot of fun back and forth scenes where they antagonize each other for separate reasons. At first, Daisy annoys Matthew because she doesn't like him and Matthew does so in turn to keep her at bay. What really made the story for me was the fact that Matthew has secretly longed for Daisy for quite a while. The scene with Lillian's labor and Daisy's discovery that Matthew has been keeping a lock her her hair encased in an old button was definitely sweet enough to make the reader want to melt into a puddle of mush. While the secret wasn't all that fantastic, the twist at the end with what happens to Matthew was well done. It pulled enough heart strings for the reader to really wonder about the fates of the characters.

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4 out of 5: Great way to end the series. Daisy's character is witty and Matthew's quiet but constant love of her is enough to make it a reread kind of book. Definite keeper copy.

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Scandal in the Spring

Tamed by the Shyest Wallflower

2008-02-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

My favorite Wallflower novel, Evie and St. Vincent.

A fan favorite among the series, this is classic Kleypas at her best. The plot is constantly weaving in and out both in the fore and background while the characters both equally grow and discover their feelings. The evolution of their relationship is a slow blossom, but is undeniable once it happens. By far, Devil in Winter ranks in my top three for all the hundreds of historicals I've read.

Evangeline Jenner, the daughter of a gaming club owner, is by far the shyest wallflower. So much so that she stutters and trips over her words when she's nervous. But that part of her personality easily fools people into thinking that she's just a rug you can walk all over. But she's not. Determined to get away from her family who's basically forcing her hand into marriage with her cousin because of her inheritance, Evie flees to Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent and proposes an arrangement.

Fresh from the incident in which St. Vincent kidnapped Lillian Bowman and still sporting a black eye from his childhood friend, Westcliff, St. Vincent is out of options. He's a penniless peer whose only worth is his title. But it's not the title that Evie wants. It's protection of having a husband. So when the shy wallflower with the flaming red hair shows up at his home offering immediately marriage, St. Vincent agrees and off they go to Gretna Green.

The terms of the marriage are clear: sex will occur only once to solidify the marriage and never again. St. Vincent can have use of Evie's money but Evie will retain a certain amount of freedom. It is an obvious marriage of convenience. Or is it?

When the 'one night sex' blows St. Vincent's mind, he's determined to have Evie in his bed again. And again. When Evie sees the softer side of St. Vincent early on, such as him cradling her in the carriage while they make the long journey to Scotland to get married, she's hesitant to write him off as the unrepentant rake. As they return to London, Evie wants to take care of her dying father. St. Vincent stays at the gaming club with her and his urge to reform and spruce up the club is an unsettling feeling for him. He's never worked a day in his life but suddenly he's up to his elbows in account books and other matters.

As tensions flair along with emotions, St. Vincent strikes a deal of his own with Evie. He'll remain celibate for a period of three months with a promise of being monogamous with the stipulation that when he succeeds, Evie will be in his bed whenever he wants in the future. Evie agrees.

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I really cannot begin to describe how Devil in Winter is truly Kleypas at her best. It's as if all the stars aligned for the plot to run smoothly, the characterizations to be perfect, and the emotions to peek at just the right time. Whatever it is, it's perfect.

The characters of Evie and St. Vincent both grow equally, though St. Vincent does most of it. Evie learns to assert herself as well as trusting St. Vincent to take care of her both physically and emotionally. St. Vincent discovers the experience in letting someone not only into his life but his heart and the rewards of doing so. There are very few characters who can start as low as St. Vincent and end up as the hero that readers will willingly cheer for.

The evolution of their relationship is well done. It's gradual, with little hints along the way. Even when Sebastian's promise of celibacy and monogamy is given, it's evident that he hasn't truly fallen in love yet. Or at least, not fully. But when the final plot twist shows its hand, that's when most of St. Vincent's growth occurs.

Truly, the book is well thought out and plotted accordingly. The conversation is paired nicely and the characters never seem out of place. Personally, Evie and St. Vincent are my favorite Kleypas couple and I was sorry to see the story end.

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5 out of 5: It's a definite and big 5 out of 5. Great read, cannot recommend enough. If you only chose to read one of the wallflowers, this is the one to choose!

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Devil in Winter

The Straight Laced Becomes Undone

2008-02-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

Second in the Wallflower series is It Happened One Autumn. We obviously meet Lillian Bowman along with the other wallflowers in the first book, but we're also introduced to Marcus, Lord Westcliff. In Annabelle and Simon's story we meet Westcliff through Simon, as Marcus is a business associate of Simon's. So, the majority of the first novel takes place at a gathering on Westcliff's home as he hosts a number of people to come and stay for a while.

There are a pair of sisters within the wallflowers and Lillian is the older sister. The Bowmans are rich Americans who have come across the ocean to seek a titled husband for their daughters. Westcliff is one of the oldest titles in England, not to mention wealthy as well. In the first book, we've already seen Westcliff and Lillian butt heads, repeatedly. Lillian is outspoken, much more so than is considered polite for the day. She also likes to have her fun and is the most opinionated of all the wallflowers. If something's on her mind, she won't hesitate to tell you, even if it's guaranteed to piss you off. Westcliff can't get over how brash and unladylike Lillian is. Westcliff likes order. It's apparent in the way he carries himself and the burden of being the head of the family. Already, they set up for a delicious attraction of opposites.

As predicted, the characters continue to butt heads throughout the story before their attraction is really noticed between the two. The beginnings where they're just fuming at one another is a really fun read. But complications arise. When Westcliff wants to make Lillian his bride, his mother refuses to sit back and see that the old Westcliff title be sullied by the loud American girl. Westcliff's mother pulls some plot strings behind the scenes and we see the character of Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent, take a larger role in the outcome of the story. St. Vincent is a childhood friend of Westcliff's and while they might not see eye to eye on everything as adults, the childhood bond they've forged is still important to Westcliff. While at the party, we know that St.Vincent needs a wealthy heiress to marry, and that's where Lillian comes in and the story gets complicated.

St. Vincent sniffs around Lillian in the beginning when Westcliff is still sorting through his feelings. And St. Vincent is a notorious rake. While St. Vincent is charming Lillian, we see the growing affection between Lillian and Westcliff. So when Westcliff wants to marry Lillian, his mother urges St. Vincent to kidnap Lillian into marriage. The story proceeds from there.

I must admit, It Happened One Autumn is not my favorite Wallflower book. It actually ranks the last. And it could be because I read them out of order. In fact, I know for sure it's because I read them out of order. Though looking back, even if I read them in series, I still think I would rank them the same. But the thing is that I read Sebastian's story before I read Lillian and Westcliff's. So to see Sebastian made out as the villain after I've seen him as the hero doesn't jive with my thoughts and feelings about his character. Kleypas herself noted that she wasn't looking to give Sebastian his own novel because of how deplorable he acted in It Happened One Autumn. She thought it'd be way to hard to redeem his character after what had happened.

However, there are other reasons in which I rank this book the last of the series. While I enjoyed Lillian's antics and her outspoken behavior, it didn't match with the others who really are wallflowers in the sense of the term. Especially the last two books, the girls really are shy girls. To me, Lillian belonged outside of the series where it wasn't entitled, Wallflowers. The hero/heroine don't go through the emotional wringer like the other characters do either. Even though there are really strong feelings between the two, the plot doesn't pull as much emotions as with the other Wallflowers. But to be fair, Lillian and Westcliff's relationship is wonderful because of Westcliff's journey into realizing that proper isn't always what's fun. Westcliff is very much a Darcy character. And while this book might not be my favorite, it does have very stiff competition and I can't say that it's a bad book in any sense. Besides, who can resist a character who's like Darcy, anyways?

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3.5 out of 5: Not my favorite of the Wallflowers for reasons explained above, but it is a worthwhile read nonetheless. Keeper copy, time to time reread.

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It Happened One Autumn

Simon Says He Wants the Wallflower

2008-02-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

After the discovery of Sabrina Jeffries back in my infant stage of reading romances, it was Lisa Kleypas that cropped up next. Specifically, her Wallflower series. Still, after all the numerous historicals I've read afterwards, the Wallflowers are at the top of my list. There's something so inherently charming and smack in the middle of what's considered to be romance reading about the women who are overlooked but whom somehow end up with the handsome and wealthy man.

The series is quite closely knit together and while it is possible, as I did, reading out of order, it flows much smoother if done in order. The general story is that four wallflowers band together and become friends. They each have their own reasons to get married and while they don't all attract the same kind of man, they do however, end up happily married.

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Secrets of a Summer Night: Annabelle must marry. Her family has no money and she has her younger brother to think of as well as her mother. Debts are piling and Annabelle is forced to see her mother go to extremes to keep their family afloat. Simon has money. But he has no title. Instead, he has risen from the son of a butcher to be a wealthy and successful business man. The men around Annabelle know of her situation, and though she is beautiful, they rather wait for her to be desperate enough to become a mistress instead of the bothersome notion of making her a wife. Simon has asked repeatedly for Annabelle to dance at gatherings but has been turned down. So, when Simon realizes the seriousness of Annabelle's financial situation, why not offer her a place in his bed? At first the offer is that of a mistress, but as the story goes on, and attachments begin to form, it becomes marriage.

This was a good start to the series. The foundation is laid for all the rest of the wallflowers and we see how the characters will be. Simon is a wonderful read. He's handsome, wealthy, and extremely charming in the humorous sense. He has a devilish sense of humor and isn't thwarted by Annabelle's refusal. However, it was also great to see Simon's softer side even when the feelings they shared weren't exactly love yet. When Annabelle is injured, Simon is frantically worried and the scene with him buying her custom made boots just makes the reader want to melt. Annabelle is a strong female character. She has a lot on her shoulders and knowing that she needs to attract a husband with no money is a constant weight pressing on her. But she pushes forward, not knowing that she's also slowly but surely falling in love with Simon along the way.

Personally, I think that readers might feel more sympathetic towards Simon's character. Simon straddles the social ladder. He has no title, but he has money. And he knows that people look down on him. Annabelle as well. When that really becomes a problem between them, it hurts to see Simon rejected like that. Simon definitely knows what he wants, gets it no matter the consequences, and he doesn't let go. Annabelle on the other hand, is less sympathetic in some ways. Her constant need to searching for the wealthy and titled husband can get in the way of really liking her character a hundred percent all the way through. While in the end, when she does redeem herself by showing what she truly is willing to sacrifice for Simon, it comes perhaps too late. Readers see Simon's love for Annabelle so soon in the story that I think Simon's a natural choice between whom to like better.

The plot itself is not that intricate. It's very simple. Annabelle needs a husband. Simon wants Annabelle. And it goes from there. Nothing too fancy. The majority of the books is really Simon winning Annabelle and the sweet moments in between. After their marriage there's an adjustment period for the both of them and the problems with her family. Additionally, the scene at the very end where Annabelle really does prove her love for Simon was unexpected but needed to really wrap up the plot. Overall, it was a good beginning and it does it job of setting up the rest of the characters and how their lives intertwine.

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4 out of 5: Good job in showing the slow evolution of Simon and Annabelle's relationship. Heavy on characters, thiner on plot. However, does set up the rest of the series and the little moments and conversations between the characters make up for any lack of plot. Conversation is witty and very Kleypas. Definite keeper and reread.

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Secrets of A Summer Night

Big Reading, Small Budget

2008-02-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

BookMooch.

Have you heard it of? If you like to read, you might have seen articles that have been written about it. And if you've heard of it, I urge you to join.

Not a book club. It's more of a book swapping club. And I must say, it's fantastic.

Here's how it works: It's a network of readers. Free to join. You list all the books that you are willing to part with. For every book added into your inventory, you receive a tenth of a point. So to start things off, you need to at least add ten books if you want to start getting books from others right away. When someone wants something in your inventory, a request is sent. The request costs them one point and you receive their point. Once you receive and accept the request, you wrap up the book(s) and pay for postage. Within the U.S. for media mail, it costs about $2.13. Some of the lighter trade paperbacks are light enough that first class mail might be cheaper. But generally, it's $2.13 for media and the weight requirement is sometimes enough to mail out two paperbacks for the same price as one. The only money you spend is postage. And that's basically it.

There are some other facets of the system: Every time you receive a book successfully, once you leave feedback, you receive another tenth of a point. That's a great bonus with the system. Other members can see and therefore choose accordingly whom to mooch from based on the point system. And since members receive an extra tenth of a point for acknowledging the receive, it guarantees feedback will be given. Unlike eBay where feedback is just good conduct, here on BookMooch, it's in the best interest of both parties to utilize the feedback feature. Another extra thing is mailing outside of your country. If you choose to mail outside of your country, you receive three points for every mooch while it costs the requester two points. That way, it makes it worth the while to pay a bit extra for postage.

Condition: Members have the ability to notate a condition on books. In my experience, it makes for a good mooch. When I'm looking for a book and it has multiple copies, the member who has high feedback and/or who lists a condition will always be the one for me. On the flip side, I've found out that setting a condition also helps in getting rid of my books. Especially for the really popular ones that have a lot of copies available to mooch. Writing a condition is important and just in good taste.

It's really the best book swapping system out there. The site is extremely easy to navigate, things are clear, and members are generally very nice. It's also very compatible with Amazon. Download the easy widget for BookMooch that can sit right in your bookmarks tab and when surfing Amazon, just click the widget and BookMooch will let you know if there's a copy available for mooching.

Great system. Can't get enough of it. Saves money and I've received plenty of so-called used books that have un-cracked spines that are practically brand new.

Go check it out. If you like to read, have copies of books you want to get rid of, and want to save money...go.

Sneaking One Past the Goalie

2008-02-23T20:36:00.000-08:00

Wallflowers are so misunderstood. Yes, they're usually shy, but they're not always doormats. Bad boys are misunderstood too. Yes, they're usually arrogant and fiercely good looking, but they're not always as tough as the armor they wear.

Jane lives a quiet life. She writes a column about living the single life. What no one else knows is that Jane also writes erotic stories for men's magazines where her heroine serves her own brand of delicious justice. Luc is looking for a comeback. The goalie is deemed the bad boy of hockey but this bad boy just might have to hang up his skates if he doesn't prove that his past injury isn't going to affect his game.

When Jane is given the chance to cover the newspaper's sports column, she has to travel with the Chinooks. Too bad she doesn't know a thing about hockey. No matter, she can survive with her Dummy's Guide to Hockey. Only things aren't going to be easy. Hard enough she has to write about something she doesn't know, but the team is convinced that she's bad luck. As if being the only woman with a traveling team of hockey players wasn't enough, she has to contend with crank phone calls and dead animals in front of her hotel room. Oh, and don't forget about Luc.

Luc does not like reporters. And he doesn't like this one traveling with them. He doesn't need some small woman digging around his past and pestering him for an interview.

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See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson is my all time favorite Gibson. It even ranks in the top five of my contemporary novels. While Gibson is not always a win for me, she does "score" with this one.

The plot is not all that original. The plain Jane mixed up with the bad boy. But the little things make it special. Jane is not the typical wallflower. Sure, she can't dress herself and is constantly wearing black because the color matches itself, but she's not afraid to speak her mind. Oh, she might blush violently as she interviews the players in their locker room, but she toughs it out.

This book is just sprinkled with delightful comedy. It's the characters and their conversation that makes it great. The conflict, however, isn't all that strong. But let's start with the characters.

Jane Alcott: Everyone can relate to at least something about Jane. She's not painfully shy, but she's not the life of the party either. She has internal strength and isn't afraid to speak up when something bothers her. For example, when she questions Luc about his old drug habit, he sees her cup of coffee and sarcastically asks if she would like a urine sample. Jane replies, "No thanks, I like my coffee black." It was wonderfully refreshing to read the typical wallflower character twisted with a sense of witty humor. Jane might be shy and considered not really attractive, but there's a bite to her bark, and it's hilarious when she lands in some embarrassing antics with the Chinooks. For example, when she finds out that the team maneuvered to have her fired, Luc especially, her speech in the locker room that results is really laugh out loud material.

"Lucky" Luc Martineau: The typical bad boy. The one who's attractive, sarcastic humor, with a history of 'love 'em and leave them' relationships. Oh, let's not forget the sinfully sexy lucky horseshoe tattoo that sits dangerously close on his lower abs. Luc has a lot on his plate. He needs to make it known that he might be thirty-two, but he can still stop the pucks from between the pipes. He's not too old and his injuries are not a problem. He also needs to take care of his young half-sister now that he's her only family. It doesn't help that she's a teenager who's finding her way in life and that he's the bachelor that knows nothing about how to take care of a young girl. But once you add Jane, the mousy reporter who's constantly getting in the way, well...Luc just can't seem to catch a break.

When it comes to the main conflict of the story, I can see how there are differing opinions. Some don't like it because they claim that it's not fully resolved. I, on the other hand, like it because it's quite reflective of real life. There isn't really an explanation on the reason why other than, "I was just upset and my emotions got the best of me." Sure, it's not entirely satisfying, but sometimes in life, things just happen. Critics are disapproving of how Luc just overlooks it, but I think the reason behind it is lovely. He loves her and he knows that people make mistakes. No matter how much it might have hurt him, he doesn't want to loose Jane.

It's the little moments that make See Jane Score a good read. I found the conversation delightful. But the main reason that I liked it is because of the slow but steady evolution of Jane and Luc's relationship. Unlike some other wallflower/bad boy stories where though the heroine might not be attractive, the hero still finds something interesting about her. Not here. Luc really doesn't find anything attractive about Jane at all in the beginning. There is very very little sexual chemistry besides Luc wondering for a brief moment what the hell Jane was trying to cover up with her ugly clothing. Until the ugly duckling transformation scene, the relationship really does begin with genuine dislike for one another. Luc is rude to Jane in the beginning, in hopes of getting rid of her by scaring her off. Their relationship builds slowly and it feels so natural when they finally do spark things up.

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5 out of 5: One of my first contemporaries, it has a special place on my bookshelf. It also has a nice ability to be one of those comfort stories where I can just pick up and read when I want to. I don't have to be in the mood for a certain kind of read when I open this book. The conversation really has the ability to make a reader laugh out loud and the characters are a wonderful match in temper and humor. Definitely a keeper and a reread.

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See Jane Score

Normal? No, Paranormal.

2008-02-21T17:24:00.000-08:00

Always having been an avid reader, I never thought the journey would lead me here. Romance. It began as a joke. Someone at work was reading one and I picked it up to tease her. She said, "Take it home." And I did. I finished it that night. It wasn't the best, but it was the first. We passed it around the office, skipping pages and reading out loud the steamy stuff. When the co-worker was moving, I went to the local library bookstore to get some for her as a joke for her going away gift. I read them first to see if it was the kind of sub-genre she would like.

And I was hooked.

I started out safely, for a lack of a better term. Historical. After I cleaned out all the authors that I liked, I went carefully wading into the contemporary genre. When I ran out of things to read, I found Lora Leigh and her Breeds series. But even though I knew the paranormal and subsequently, the vampire sub-genre was a growing trend, I vowed to stay away. Vampires were not for me. Paranormal was not for me. They just weren't my thing.

But then I ran out of books to read and I was itching for something.

On Amazon, I came across J.R. Ward and I saw that practically every review was high. Three hundred some reviewers and all of her books still rated 4.5 stars out of 5. That's remarkable. But I still resisted. Vampires were not my bag. Blood, ick.

So I searched for something else to read. And came up empty handed. When I was at the library bookstore, Jacob was on the shelf. I picked it up, turned it around and read the back. Sounded interesting enough and for fifty cents, what did I have to loose? Besides, the pile of books I was buying that day was at least six and this paranormal one could be read last.

But it wasn't. It was read first.

Then the next day when I stopped by Borders, J.R. Ward's first book of her Brotherhood series was rereleased and I saw that it was only $4.99. I took the plunge. Besides, I swore I would never read Romance, and now I was already two hundred plus novels in the historicals and contemporaries under my belt. How could I rip into the paranormal sub-genre without reading it first?

I bought it, took it home, finished it in under four hours. I was hooked.

There's something very different about the paranormal genre. No, not the magic, the vampires, and the super long life spans. It was the characters. Specifically, the males. The heroes.

There's much more room for paranormal heroes to be larger than life. More arrogant. More assured. More everything. Especially with the growing trend of writing the element of 'mates.' While a lot of authors are jumping into the boat of giving their characters a sense of lifelong mates, only a few have done so with a deft hand. The concept of mates have unleashed a new category in my opinion, and it really defines an important facet of paranormal writing.

It allows for the characters to know without a shadow of a doubt that they belong together. Most of the time they know before they fall in love. It frees up the readers to accept the harder qualities of the males. Perhaps the males are more possessive, protective, etc. Everything that you can't write into a contemporary non-paranormal male character because it makes them into jerks, you can write into your paranormal hero and get away with it.

I came across a J.R. Ward interview where she was asked why she believed that the paranormal sub-genre was growing like it is. She replied that the genre allowed the male characters to be super alphas. Beyond the norm. It was okay and that it appealed to the female psyche.

I agree. There's something freer about reading the paranormal sub-genre. You can get away with more in terms of characters. Your males can be that much harder and the readers will allow it because of the setting. But the plot is equally important. Like any other book, the two must go hand in hand. Characters and plot.

While I can't say that I enjoy all paranormal, I can't say that I don't see the appeal either. I see it. And there's no going back.

High School Never Ends

2008-02-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

Getting What You Want, Wanting What You Get, Wanting Something More.

The brainiac, the 'chubby' one, the supermodel.

The dyslexic, the alcoholic, the amnesiac.

Kathy Love's Stepp series has its own spin on what would be considered a rather overdone plot line. As Love's debut series, the Stepp sisters' stories center around high school pains and the guys who eventually make up for it.

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I remember coming across Kathy Love's books as Amazon recommended them based on my other purchases. The reviews were good and so I ordered them. Somehow, the order was mixed up and I ended up reading them out of order. The second one first, then the first, and the last. Though connected through the sisters, the stories are easily read out of order. But it wasn't the ordering that bothered me when I put the books down, it was something intangible, but I knew something was off. I couldn't say that I didn't like them, but there was something there that made me hesitant to read more of Love's work.

Then after I completed all three, I realized what it was. It was Love's writing. Specifically, it was the way she wrote her men. It's not uncommon for the hero to have some sort of barrier that keeps him from love, and ultimately, the heroine until the very end. It's usually a fear of commitment, perhaps he was burned in the past, or maybe there's some sort of deceit that serves as the undercurrent for the plot. It's kind of the case with Love, only I found it more interesting.

Her men have problems. Relatable, yet not always seen problems in romance novels. Or perhaps, not written in a way that's always seen. The men's problems quite easily overshadow the main love plot of the book. Especially for the second book, Wanting What You Get, it's the male's problem and not the relationship, that takes center stage.

Let's take a look at each novel...

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Getting What You Want: Abby, the oldest, has come home to work at a research lab. She's the brainy Stepp. The quintessential geek. After high school, she bolts for bigger and better things, working as a scientist and dating the safe guy. Chase Jordan, the high school bad boy, has stayed in his hometown and now works as a successful carpenter and his work leans more towards architecture. When Abby comes home, she runs into Chase. He's still the same bad boy who she saw as a wounded individual back in high school that has the uncanny ability to make her tongue tied and freeze up.

Misunderstandings run amuck...Abby sees Chase as still the guy who's still so cool. Rumors run rampant about Chase and his old high school girlfriend, Summer. And Abby can't help but wonder what happened between the two when Summer obviously wants Chase again. Chase sees Abby and is blown away. The nerdy girl has come back and she's obviously grown into herself. But when he approaches conversation, Abby is too shy but comes off as aloof. Chase thinks that Abby still feels that she's too good for everyone in the small town and he can't help but feel that she's behaving snobby.

And Abby's behavior is her largest stumbling block. She comes off cold and distant and the reader feels for her because you know she's just shy and unsure of herself. She's surrounded by Chase and his friends, the same people who wouldn't give her a second look in high school. When she finally realizes how her misunderstandings and clinging onto the past is hurting her present, it's a good resolution.

So, the plot is farirly typical. The geeky brain is thrown together with the bad boy from high school. But there are differences that Love makes for herself. First, there's the secret of Summer's son and the rumors that surround Chase being the father. But the thing that makes Chase weary of letting Abby too close is the fact that he's hiding something. He's dyslexic. So much so that when readers find out in the end, they can see how Love wove that into the beginning that made their misunderstandings worst. For example, when Chase takes Abby out to dinner, she points to her menu and asks Chase if it's good. Chase can't read it and just takes a shot in the dark. While Abby gently corrects him with the correct dish, Chase brushes it off because he's already embarrassed. But, for Abby, she fears that Chase is irritated by her actions. She misunderstands him and thinks that reading the menu is not the thing to do because she noticed that Chase didn't even glance at his.

The fact that Chase is so embarrassed by his dyslexia is endearing and heartbreaking. He hides the truth because he feels that when Abby finds out, there's no way in hell the super smart girl will stay with the guy who can't even read his own name. That alone, makes his novel my favorite of the three. There are also many cute scenes that pepper the book. The scene where Chase teaches Abby to swim, the funny antics of his dog's perchance of stealing his clothes and ultimately bringing Abby boxers that belong to Chase...all, very sweet.

The combination of Chase and Abby was a good choice in characters. Plus, I have a soft spot for the brainy girl/bad boy combo. Who doesn't?

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Wanting What You Get: Ellie, the chubby one, is the one Stepp sister who has stayed home. As the town librarian, she keeps the company of books and the other library employees. And that's it. She definitely does not have the social life of the town mayor, Mason Sweet. When Mason starts to notice Ellie, he proposes an affair. Too little, too late does he realize that Ellie is not the kind of woman that he should be having a casual relationship with. But Ellie is determined to do it because of Mason, no matter the cost to her heart. When Mason sees that he wants Ellie more seriously, it's Ellie to put on the brakes because she realizes that there's more to Mason than meets the eye. But without Mason's acceptance of his problem, no one can win in a loosing battle.

Here, in the second book, Love takes a bit of a turn. In Abby and Chase's story, they each had their own insecurities that contributed to misunderstandings and therefore, they each had something to apologize for. In the case of Mason and Ellie, the story is definitely all about Mason. That is what made this series stand out for me. Love choose to make her story focus not really about the budding relationship, but on Mason and his problems. Ironically, though Ellie is the 'chubby' sister, her weight is on the back burner of topics as Mason takes the stage.

Mason, the town mayor, is an alcoholic. It's not really that apparent at first. A drink here, a drink there. Then it escalates. When Ellie and Mason have problems, Mason drowns his anger in the bottle. When they go away for the weekend to reconcile, Ellie notices that Mason has practically polished off the entire bottle of wine himself before their dinner arrives. When Ellie confronts him, Mason denies it. And as Ellie bravely leaves him even because she can't stand to see him hurt himself, Mason continues to delude himself into think that Ellie simply can't accept him and love him the way he is. When Mason finally realizes that he's gone over the deep end, he also finds out that Ellie is pregnant and while she's happy for him, she doesn't want to take him back. She wants him to get sober for the right reasons, not to pin them on her or the baby.

As mentioned, the entire story centers around the growing evidence that Mason is an alcoholic. It's not really about Ellie and her embarrassment over her weight, though we do see a few scenes about her insecurities. It's all about Mason. And that stood out for me. I still like Abby and Chase's story better because there's a balance of problems between the leads, but I can respect Love's decision to spotlight Mason and his problem in the second novel.

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Wanting Something More: The third, in my opinion, is a poor way to end the series. It's almost good enough to read the first two and leave it at that. Marty, the girl who was too skinny and too tall is now a supermodel. The guy who used her as a practical joke is now the Chief of Police. Oh, and let's not forget that Nathaniel was attacked and can't remember his past with Marty, therefore he doesn't recall ever being so mean to her.

This was Love's weak attempt of continuing the Stepp story but it turned out too contrived. It was stretching not enough plot to last the length of the novel. Marty's insecurities were not handled well and the little sub-plot of action and the threat of another attack on Nathaniel was pithy. When I finished, I could hardly believe that this was the same author who wrote the previous two.

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Getting What You Want: 4 out of 5: A good balance of problems, tenderness, and sexiness from both characters.

Wanting What You Get: 3 out of 5: Brave departure from the norm by focusing solely on the hero instead of the couple as a whole. However, the imbalance left much to be desired in terms of seeing Ellie really grow throughout the story.

Wanting Something More: 1.5 out of 5: Nice try, but obviously ran out of steam by the end. Characters were not engaging enough to truly care for them like the previous two.

Good contemporary covers. Bright colors. No cringe-worthy models that make you embarrassed to be caught reading them in public.

As Comfortable as a Well-Worn T-Shirt

2008-02-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

If you like your heroes that are traditionally tall, dark, and handsome with a protective streak that runs wider than a five-lane freeway, Jacqueline Frank's debut novel Jacob is the book for you. If your ideal hero possesses a strong moral compass, don't miss out on this book. If you need a break from reading plot heavy romances where the life or death situation continually hangs over the reader's head all the way up until the very end then Jacob is a must read.

In my opinion, Jacob could easily be either a 'love it' or 'hate it' kind of book. The first in Frank's Nightwalker series, it introduces the race of characters. Though strictly in the paranormal sub-genre, I must admit that Frank has not carved a very deep niche in distinguishing herself from others. In Jacob we're introduced to the demons which are our main race of Nightwalkers. They are basically those who are in tune with Mother Nature in a way that everyone is representative of an element. Jacob, is an Earth demon and is strongly connected to the Earth as a whole. Frank makes her distinction of the sexes by making demons of the same element possessing different attributes according to male or female. For example, a female demon of the mind is not telepathic, but more empathetic.

Why is Jacob a 'love it' or 'hate it'? Frank safely opens the series with heavy heavy emphasis on her two lead characters and lots of emotions run amuck. The plot is thin at best and entire story centers around Jacob and the other demons looking for a reason as to why Isabella, a human, temps Jacob so. Again, plot is meager at best.

Jacob, the Enforcer, is ingrained with the important duty of keeping his race in line whenever the full moon comes out. The reason being that in times of the full moon, demons sometimes falter and seek out humans. A rule of the demons is that they must live in harmony, though separately, from humans and it falls to Jacob's shoulders that no harm comes to any human. On one night, during the time of the moon, Jacob is out hunting a possessed demon and comes across Isabella. In a twist of events, Jacob saves Isabella, who in turn, saves him back. To figure out how she could possibly do what she did, Jacob whisks her away to his home to solve the puzzle. The problem? Jacob, the one who is said to be beyond temptation, is drawn to Isabella. Oh, did I mention that it's a big no-no for demon/human sex?

So far, I've made it seem that this is a 'not worthy of a read' sort of book. No. It's actually one of my favorites. Why? It's the best to fall back on when you just want to read some good ol' interaction between the hero/heroine that just makes you want to sink into a puddle of good feelings. The constant emotions and the battle of them makes it a delightful read. Definitely not one to read for plot, it is however, a book to read if you like a hero who'll go to any lengths to protect the woman he loves. Wonderfully protective, slightly possessive, Jacob is a typical yummy hero that comes to mind when thinking of the genre of romance.

For all my love of the books with a good mystery, a bad guy out for blood, and a hero totting a gun, Jacob is one of my eternal fall-back books when I'm not in the mood to think about the story too much. When all I want is some emotion and palpable love between the characters, Jacob is the perfect remedy.

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4.5 out of 5: Purely because of the emotions. This book has appealed to my personal tastes and that is the reasoning for the higher rating. The plot is not intricate but the delicious connection between Jacob and Bella are enough to make me want to pick this book up from time to time just for the hell of it. A definite re-read. And yes, my copy is indeed dog-eared.

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Jacob

As Unpredictable as the Characters

2008-02-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

For me, there is one known fact whenever I go to pick up a Shannon McKenna novel: I can never tell whether or not I'll like it even though I know her writing.

Why? It's all in her male characters. Writing in a similar vein as Lora Leigh minus the paranormal shroud, McKenna both hits and misses on her male leads. And in my opinion, it's her males that make or break her entire story. Without the protective covering of the sub-genre of 'paranormal' writing such super alpha males is hard to achieve without turning off the reader.

So why do some of her males work and not the others? Her males' characteristics don't waver too much. They are all very dominant, protective, possessive, and powerful. To the extreme. Hard language matches their hard bodies and wounded backgrounds. Then, what makes it a hit instead of a miss?

It's all in the moments between the dodging of the bullets, the sweaty sex, and the plot of deception. It's in the tender moments that makes that alpha male work instead of coming off like a jerk. Soft moments are hard to come by in McKenna novels. It seems that she's way too caught up in making the bad guy bad that those little moments between the couple, the glimpses of a slice of life, is cut out in favor of the gritty gruesome scenes. And her bad guys are gruesome. Underage sex slavery, graphic torture, and organ harvesting are story lines that are not uncommon for McKenna books.

But between the scenes that makes the reader want to grimace and turn the page, when the little moments crop up, it makes it all worth it. For instance, in Standing in the Shadows we have a tender scene between Connor and Erin in her childhood bedroom right before the shit hits the fan. Though Connor can be insanely brash and pushing the boundaries of his relationship with Erin, the thought of him loving her for so long makes his behavior a bit more excusable. The scene with them in her old bedroom, just the hint of tenderness between them makes up for all the harder scenes in the motel and at her apartment. But take McKenna's Hot Night. There is no real tender scene between the hero/heroine. It's all about the set up of the leads meeting, the danger, the deceit, and the downfall. There was no small scene, even for a moment before the very very end that we see tenderness between the two. The hero was way too hard all the way through and there even seemed to be a lack of internal softening of the character.

Of all McKenna's books, specifically the McCloud series beginning with Seth and Raine, it's Connor that takes the lead for me. Why? Because though he's just as rough as his friend and his brothers, there's not only an internal softening of his painful past, but outwardly as well. And not just the 'childhood bedroom' scene mentioned above. Even the little moments served its purpose. Just having Connor admit so early on that he was falling hard and quick for real this time was enough to belly the coarse language and motivations for Connor. The closest to come to Connor would be Sean, but the cliche plot of bitter lost loves was just too overplayed to make it really work.

All in all, while McKenna is a definite must read for me, the mood of reading such alpha males must be correct to even begin picking up one of her books. A reader must be looking for some gory scenes, arrogant heroes, and heroines that both need the protection of the men but still hold onto their internal strength to fight. While it's the male leads that make or break the entire story, their females must be written with a strong hand to make it all work. For Erin to be partnered with Connor was the perfect match. She was innocent yet strong. When he was a jerk, she told him. But, and most importantly, when it was needed, she showed Connor gentleness even when he didn't know he needed it. Though plot heavy, McKenna's characters easily swing her books either way.

The Fight Continues

2008-02-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

Lori Foster releases her newest SBC Fighter's book: Hard to Handle.

Harley Handleman is off at his yearly cabin retreat, nursing his wounds and pondering his constant head-butting with fate. Anastasia Bradley is his landlady who is a recent magnet for dangerous run-ins with colliding cars, slick icy roads, and goons with guns. Oh, and there's an attraction between the two that cannot be denied.

The third installment of Foster's series is much in line with the previous two. Major characters from the other two books make a strong appearance in this book and Foster has taken the word 'sequel' quite literally. This series has characters that definitely trickle down from the top to the newest novel. Much like the first one where we dealt with Dean and his friend Gregor and their troubles with their own women, Harvey and his friend Barber will find their own happy endings. In my opinion, though labeled about fighting, these books are about strong men who have gentle dispositions that are ready to fight with their fists for both their profession and their dignity or in defense of their women. This story does not escape the path of the others and the plot deals with a bad guy out there who has it in his head to maim the heroine.

However, this novel didn't hit the emotional depths like Causing Havoc did, and that book wasn't all that deep either. While the side story of Barber and Jasmine served as comic relief, it was done way too late in the story and resolved itself amazingly quickly. With Causing Havoc, while Gregor was the supporting character, the reader felt for him and Jacki even when Gregor makes the mistake of taking in her good looks and accidently makes a quick assumption about her personality and past.

Another roadblock for Hard to Handle in becoming as good as the others was the main relationship of Stasia and Harvey. He's all about control and that constantly gets in the way. Written as a character flaw of sorts, while the reader can understand how Harvey is letting his need for control, control everything else, it's hard to really blame him, and therefore, hard to see it as a fault. The constant touching on the topic of him having an affection for light bondage was repetitive and did not really resolve itself. Stasia's constant refusal was also redundant and was not done with an effective pen. It was as if Foster didn't have much in mind for these two and had to stretch out what she had to bulk up the paltry pages.

Overall, while enjoyable, this was not the best Foster. It was not on par with what's to be expected of this wonderful author. It seems that her name has become too big and the publishers are demanding too much too soon. She doesn't have time to cultivate her plots and characters.

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2.5 out of 5: Fun, quick read but no real emotions evolved. Sex was formulaic and uninventive in terms of the scene itself and the emotions shared between characters. Plot did not have enough steam to make the reader care beyond just reaching the last page. Will keep copy because it adds to the collection of the previous two but definitely not a re-read copy.

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Hard to Handle